Radical voices: Jonathon Shafi, Alan Bissett, , Isobel Lindsay, John McAllion, Paul Holleran & more • see inside

£1 • issue 448 • 21st November – 4th December 2014 scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com

SCOTLAND DEMANDS CHANGE • £10-an-hour living wage • Tax the rich • Scrap Trident • Fight the cuts • Protect benefits • Axe the Council Tax • Dump anti-union laws ScottishSocialistVoice.wordpress.com /ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson

AT THE heart of the broad vibrant Yes campaign, which A people before profit Scotland culminated with a massive 45 per cent vote in September’s independence referendum, is the spearhead of change PHOTO: John Lanigan was the clear belief that independence could open the road to a socially just and sustainable Scotland, putting people before profit. Astonished unionists have looked on aghast as the Yes campaign, fuelled by this key vision, not only failed to melt away but—in all its aspects— mushroomed in size and activity. Now the supposed victors of Better Together particularly the sham socialists of the once all conquering Labour Party are staring down the barrel of a political defeat of immense proportions as the reality of the No vote is revealed. SOCIALISTS SAY NO TO NATO: pro-Yes parties differ on issues such as corporation tax, monarchy and NATO Chilling reality The polls predicting a The key question facing the live issue with the proposal For example, it has been Labour meltdown underline left in this situation is how to for a Yes alliance targeting policy the chilling reality for them turn that rejection of Labour Labour’s unionist No for some time to seek a that the old song of it’s us or duplicity into a movement campaign Tory soul mates common programme of the Tories is fast losing its that can turn what are issues and significant moves by the progressive demands magic and more importantly backed by the public such as SNP to allow non-party capable of garnering support the hard truth that Labour is rail nationalisation, public members to stand under from a range of political equally tied to the austerity ownership of energy, ending their banner. forces and this approach agenda has been revealed to poverty pay into mainstream might be one way of working class voters. politics. Labour’s dead hand advancing the energy of the It was this fact which was Campaigning in our The Yes alliance idea has Yes campaign in May. hammered home by the left workplaces and communities been welcomed by the SSP, Certainly, the prize of in the Yes campaign in public on the streets and on social who have also made it clear breaking the dead hand of meetings, mass canvassing, media will all be vital parts of that they are minded to Labour on working class in cyber space and by a building such a movement contest seats in May, while Scotland in the wake of the myriad of websites and but it must also find a way to the Greens are already Yes vote in their heartlands publications from Scottish give an electoral expression selecting candidates so the and inserting a large pro- Socialist Voice to Newsnet to the desperate need to take entire issue is complex but, independence bloc of MPs Scotland and many others Scotland in a new direction. as yet, not set in stone. into a hung Westminster is which sealed the Yes deal in Put simply the ideas of the Unlike the referendum, redolent with real working class Scotland. left have to be put at the heart where the aim was one clear possibilities. More importantly, that vote, of policy making in order to be aim—independence— Beyond May to next year’s as we discuss elsewhere in translated into concrete elections bring with them Holyrood elections it will be this Voice , has potentially change which impacts on the issues of policy where the even more essential that the broken the once iron grip of reality of peoples’ lives and pro-Yes parties have real and socialist ideas which played Labour on these communities this means they have to be principled difference on such a part in energising the and is a major factor feeding part of the mainstream of issues such as corporation Yes campaign find elected the vortex of chaos elected politics. tax, monarchy and NATO expression in Holyrood and convulsing the so called The debate around the making a unified ticket this must be a key priority in peoples party. best way forward on this is a complex but not impossible. the months ahead.

2 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • issue 448 ALAN BISSETT by Alan Bissett ten years. Membership of the pro-Yes parties—the SSP, THE NO vote in the referendum Greens and SNP—has gone in September was truly devastat - The Scotland we are through the roof, whereas ing to those of us who voted Yes. Labour, who worked hand-in- We felt it as yet another blow to living in now was glove with the Tories through - social justice—to the new, mass out the campaign, has seen its alliance of working class and support north of the border young people, socialists, femi - inconceivable three slump to unprecedented levels. nists, artists, greens and national - All the signs are that the ists—from the concentrated Unionists may have won the power of the UK Establishment. short years ago battle but lost the war. No sup - We have been here before, of porters have gone quiet, as course, with the failed (albeit events disprove their case, re - rigged) devolution referendum duced to pleas for Yes activists of 1979; with the imposition of to simply ‘let it go’. The Yes successive Tory governments movement, however, is regroup - which Scotland had voted ing and renewing its strength, against; with the shocking dein - with not one but two enormous dustrialisation of our industry gatherings in Glasgow. and the atomizing of communi - Nicola Sturgeon’s address to ties; with the smashing of the the SNP at the Hydro and the working-class in Thatcher’s Radical Independence Confer - victory over the miners; with ence in the Clyde Auditorium, Blair and Brown’s betrayal of where the socialist issues of na - the Labour movement after tionalisation, anti-austerity and 1997; and with, despite massive gender equality will be very public outcry, the calamitous in - much to the fore. vasion of Iraq in 2003. Let’s stop to take stock of that: Sometimes being on the left a radical and (relatively) unified feels like one long chain of de - movement has managed to sell out feats. But if there is another SPIRIT OF 45: the Yes movement is regrouping and one of Scotland’s largest music thing which history teaches it is renewing its strength, with not one but two enormous venues—a mammoth 3000- gatherings in Glasgow PHOTO: Craig Maclean that neither the need nor the seater—while another meeting of hunger for socialism die easily. bourgeoisie such as Barack footing in Iraq and Syria, Cen - 12,000 people, who share many of Obama, the Pope, EC President tral Scotland is being opened up our aims, takes place at exactly the We get knocked down Manuel Barroso and Australia’s by Westminster for shale-gas same time next door. This is the Just as the forces of the right hawkish PM, Tony Abbot—threw fracking, new oil wealth has Scotland we are living in now, in - believe they have delivered the every conceivable threat at the been suddenly discovered in the conceivable three short years ago. fatal stroke, some fresh willpower Scottish people, but the polls kept North Sea, and the Bank of Such is the Unionist ‘victory’. lifts us again to face the next crisis rising in Yes’s favour. Only when England have revealed their of capitalism, or Unionism, or they attempted the carrot rather plans to calm the markets But we get up again whichever bourgeois ghoul flits than the stick, with the infamous should Yes have prevailed. The Yes campaign saw disil - before us. As that refrain from the ‘vow’ promising “substantial new The influence of UKIP in lusioned, marginalised, work - anarchist pop-group Chum - powers”, were Scots persuaded to England grows ever-greater, ing-class people become buwumba goes: “I get knocked give the Union another chance. with Ed Miliband now ‘talking re-energised by left wing issues, down, but I get up again/You’re The No vote, however, has tough’ on immigration, and a meaning Scotland now has one never gonna keep me down...” left a biter aftertaste in Scot - Tory victory in 2015’s West - of the informed, engaged and Since that awful morning of land’s mouth. The day after the minster election seems ever- politicised electorates in Eu - 19 Sept, the Yes movement has referendum fascist thugs more likely. To quote another rope. The ground from which shown spadefuls of this grit. A ‘cleared’ George Square of Yes pop anarchist, Johnny Rotten: an independent, socialist repub - No vote was supposed to destroy supporters. ‘The Vow’ has de - ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve lic can grow is more fertile than us, cement the Union and con - scended into a power struggle been cheated?’ ever. It becomes evermore clear firm the right of the British rul - between Labour and the Tories, There is evidence that even that the visible consequences of ing-class to keep us in our place. and there is little confidence many No voters have realised a No vote were simply another The entire upper layer of soci - that the Smith Commission will their mistake. Two successive precondition for the eventual ety—the Westminster parties and be able to deliver something “as polls have shown support for in - triumph of Scottish socialism. their puppets in Holyrood; the UK close to federalism as possible” dependence now at over 50 per We get knocked down, but media; the financial class; even (promised by Gordon Brown). cent and a majority of Scots we get up again. You’re never figures from the international The UK has re-entered a war back another referendum within gonna keep us down.

issue 448 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • 3 JOHN M cALLION by John McAllion, former Labour MP and MSP, now an SSP member No more business as usual AS COMMENTATORS var - iously try to make sense of Scotland’s post-referendum politics post-referendum landscape, it is becoming ever pro-NATO, pro-EU, pro-sterling clearer that we are now in un - and pro-financial stability as charted political waters. overriding priorities in shaping The parties of the successful the new Scotland. No campaign find themselves The re-awakening Scottish weakened by their victory and are working class shared few if any of everywhere in retreat. The parties these prejudices. Working class of the losing Yes campaign have priorities were and are different. It been immensely strengthened by was the iniquity of poverty, in - their defeat and are attracting tens equality, food banks, benefit sanc - of thousands of new recruits to tions and ATOS’ work capability their ranks. tests that echoed around the grass - It was not supposed to be like roots community based meetings this. The big winner in the after - that became such a defining char - math of the referendum appears to acteristic of Scotland’s growing be the SNP. With its membership demand for change. soaring towards 100,000, it is now STIILL GAME:: worrkiing cllass votterrs The nationalist-minded jour - the fastest growing and third have rre--engaged wiitth tthe polliittiicall nalist, George Kerevan summed largest political force in the UK. prrocess and tthey arre nott goiing away up this new mood succinctly Its latest conference saw what PHOTO:: Crraiig Macllean when he commented “...by the the Financial Times described as signing up to membership of the springs from that grassroots Yes end, the Yes campaign had mor - a “triumphal leadership transi - main Yes parties are motivated insurgency. If the SNP is serious phed into the beginnings of a tion”, with Alex Salmond step - not so much by what these par - about holding on to this new gen - genuine populist, anti-austerity ping aside and his replacement ties stand for as by their own eration of social activists then its movement.” Nicola Sturgeon telling the thou - lived experience during the ref - economic policies will have to sand plus delegates packed into erendum campaign itself. shift decisively to the left. New reality the Perth Concert Hall that they 2014 brought politics back on For their part All of Scotland’s political par - were now “Scotland’s party”. to the streets and back into the will struggle to rebuild a work - ties will have to come to terms heart of previously marginalised ing class base in Scotland so with this new reality. There can Wipe-out working class communities. long as it remains subservient to be no return to the old politics of On the other hand, the biggest Working class people who for a a UK party in competition with the pre-referendum age. No re - loser is certainly Scottish Labour. generation had been shut out the Tories and UKIP for votes in turn to passive electorates giving With its membership in collapse, from an elite neoliberal political the more prosperous and politicians in suits a four to five it trails the SNP badly in voting consensus rediscovered their densely populated South-East year carte blanche to do as they intentions for next year’s general political voice and direction. of England. like in between elections. election. Six months out from They are now unlikely to allow As UK Labour tacks to the Working class voters have re- what could be a political wipe-out that voice or that direction to be right on immigration and shad - engaged with the political process in north of the border, it has em - lost again inside internal party ows the Coalition’s cuts agenda and they are not going away. Ei - barked upon a divisive and bureaucracies. in pursuit of austerity and deficit ther the SNP and Labour become fiercely fought contest for the This reality has consequences reduction, it becomes just another part of this mass anti-austerity Scottish leadership. for all parties in Scotland. In party of the neoliberal consensus movement or they become irrel - Even in the unlikely event of particular, it has fundamental against which working class evant to it. The tens of thousands the left wing challenge of Neil implications for our two biggest Scotland is in open revolt. of activists swelling the ranks of Findlay and Katy Clark succeed - parties. It will no longer be To win again in Scotland Scot - the SNP have not signed up for a ing, the new leadership would enough for the SNP to position tish Labour will have to take on tartan version of austerity. then be forced to endorse a UK itself slightly to the left of New and defeat what the rest of UK Scottish Labour cannot re - Labour ticket in 2015 that was Labour on social policy while Labour represents. It is telling constitute itself on the promise committed to £25billion of auster - continuing to woo the business that the political establishments in of balancing Westminster’s ity cuts in the following year. That vote through core neoliberal both of these parties shared com - books. The new Scotland rising is no basis for political revival. economic policies. mon assumptions about what from the ashes of a lost referen - Yet these first post-referen - The party’s new membership might constitute a winning for - dum cannot and will not be put dum impressions may be mis - massively outnumbers its older mula during the referendum cam - back in its box in the name of leading. The tens of thousands traditional membership. It also paign. Both were pro-monarchy, British-style austerity.

4 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • issue 448 COLIN FOX by Colin Fox, SSP national land’s aspiration for change?” co-spokesperson And David Torrance, writing in The Herald , signalled the un - THE RADICAL Independ - ease amongst new SNP mem - ence Campaign conference this Independence bers at Nicola Sturgeon being weekend takes place within “no longer terribly keen on the earshot of Nicola Sturgeon’s Radical Independence Cam - coronation ‘gig’ at the Glasgow paign,” adding, “her leadership Hydro. With 3,000 participants, alliance or might mean more warmth for it will be the biggest RIC confer - big business”. ence and by far the most impor - The SNP’s multi-million tant. Not only is it our first pound operation is certainly im - opportunity to discuss the way SNP dalliance pressive and has been too se - forward since the referendum, it ductive for some to resist. I saw also allows us to address the il - it at close quarters myself in the lusions that exist in the SNP as Yes campaign. The contrast a ‘radical’ party. with the ham-fisted operation I Hundreds of people who at - observed during four years at tended the first two RIC confer - Holyrood, when the SNP were ences have joined the SNP. So in the political doldrums, could if the purpose of RIC was to ad - not be starker. But thanks to the vocate an alternative Scotland Weir’s Lotto millions and the to that envisaged by the SNP, phalanx of staff their money we appear to have failed. now employs, the SNP machine RIC activists argued through - has been ‘changed utterly’. But out the past two years that sup - its political ideology has not. porting Scotland’s democratic That remains a fusion of neolib - right to self-determination does YES FIRST MINISTER: unlike the SNP, the Scottish eral economics and left of not make you a Scottish nation - Socialists believe an ‘independence alliance’ is the Labour social policy. alist, it makes you a democrat. best way to defeat Labour in Scotland next May So the lesson to be learned PHOTO:: John Laniigan And we persuaded many oth - this weekend is if you are a so - erwise reluctant Yes voters of join the nationalist’s ranks. It will on the SNP’s new members to cialist you should be in a social - that fact. Many appear however be interesting to hear him speak ensure the party does not try to ist party, not building illusions in to have succumbed to the at RIC on Saturday before he swallow up the wider independ - capitalist ones. The SSP be - SNP’s charms. The nationalists goes over to support Nicola ence movement”. lieves an independence alliance have recruited 60,000 people Sturgeon at the Hydro. RIC must challenge such illu - is the best way to defeat Labour since 18 September and are set He is not the only socialist sions in the SNP. Under Nicola in Scotland next May. We re - to reach the astonishing figure who appears to have lost his Sturgeon the SNP will follow the fuse to underestimate them and of 100,000 members by the bearings. Tommy Shepherd, the same ‘corporate managerialist’ prefer an independence al - year’s-end. former Deputy General Secre - line taken by Alex Salmond and liance to an SNP dalliance. tary of the Scottish Labour Party Jack McConnell before her. Wilde thing and proprietor of The Stand Designed to placate corpo - No shortcuts “A cynic,” Oscar Wilde ob - Comedy Club is another. rate Scotland their policies do There are no shortcuts to served, “is someone who He wrote in Scotland on Sun - little to eradicate the poverty building an independent social - knows the price of everything day recently that no one other and inequality that so blights our ist Scotland via the SNP. It and the value of nothing”. Any - than the SNP should stand can - nation. Anyone who expects must be built on far more solid one not astonished by the didates against Labour next anything else has simply not ideological foundations, with a SNP’s membership surge in the May. And the SNP conference been paying attention these thorough knowledge of capital - light of a No vote needs to read agreed with him. Their decision past seven years. The SNP will ist economics and the class more Wilde (I recommend The to allow non-members to stand not eradicate poverty preferring struggle. Above all, such a goal Soul of Man Under Socialism as as SNP candidates suggests to merely ‘tackle’ it, or ‘reduce’ must be armed with a clear so - a start). Hard-nosed SNP lead - they will not be collaborating it, in other words they will ulti - cialist programme, capable of ers were certainly astonished! with others parties. mately ‘tolerate’ it. mobilising the Scottish working Opinion polls now suggest But that is not what SNP As Lesley Riddoch warned: class majority. Labour could be virtually wiped member George Kerevan advo - “Massive cuts in public spend - That socialist programme is out in Scotland next May. cated, writing from Barcelona ing loom. Delivering social jus - one that SSP activists will ad - So who is joining the SNP, on the lessons of the Catalan tice in times of austerity cannot vocate at the RIC conference and why? Amer Anwar, the referendum this week. Stress - be done. Nicola Sturgeon will this weekend, and next May, human rights lawyer and former ing the importance of the move - have to raise taxes or cut when we field candidates in the SWP member is the latest to ment, he concluded “the onus is spending. Can she meet Scot - Westminster General Election.

issue 448 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • 5 WORKPLACE by , plus extend the working week SSP national workplace by an hour; combined, that organiser means at least a 4.5 per cent cut in hourly pay. COUNCILS ACROSS Scot - Across Scotland, council staff land are poised to wield the have suffered two years of zero knife to jobs and local services pay increase followed by 1 per in a renewed round of munici - cent this year, alongside devas - pal butchery. tating staff reductions and sub - Councillors of all mainstream sequent crushing workloads for party colours—including not just those who remain. Tory and Lib Dem, but Labour But now compulsory redun - and SNP—are preparing budgets dancies loom, unless a ferocious for 2015/6 and subsequent years fight is mounted for the neces - with tens of millions of cuts in sary funding. most areas, with hair-raising at - These attacks are the result of tacks on workforces and working spending cuts imposed by the DEFY class communities. Westminster dictatorship of and This assault includes £150mil - for the obscenely rich, which has lion slashed next year in just a chopped the block grant award to clutch of the bigger councils—on the Scottish Government. top of hundreds of millions in re - But amidst all the fanfares for cent years; but the BBC describes the phenomenal growth of the this as “a drop in the ocean com - SNP in membership and opinion pared with the following years”. polls, their Holyrood government is passing down these Tory cuts to Horrendous effects councils, rather than mount a ALL Glasgow Labour council plans mass people’s rebellion to save £71million cuts in the next two jobs, conditions and services. years, hard on the heels of Assuredly, there is an alterna - £175million ‘savings’ since tive. The SSP has every year de - 2010! Job losses accompany at - manded that the Scottish tacks on the most vulnerable Government and local councillors communities e.g. 40 per cent should refuse to pass on Westmin - cuts to Glasgow Association of ster’s cuts, instead set No Cuts Mental Health funding. Defiance budgets, and then link Numerous councils are slash - up with council workers’ unions CUTS ing education, the single biggest and community user groups in a council service. Highlands and massive campaign to demand set No Cuts Fife are amongst those proposing back the stolen £billions off West - to cut the school week, with hor - minster to balance the books. rendous effects not only on kids’ schooling but also parents’ child - Income-based tax care and work arrangements. In - Simultaneously, we have budgets verclyde has included the fought for the Scottish Govern - ingenious idea of abolishing head ment to use its power over local teachers in their primary schools. taxation to abolish the unfair, re - High-performing East Ren - gressive Council Tax and replace frewshire plans to increase class it with a progressive, income- sizes for S1 and S2 Maths and based Scottish Service Tax. axe the English from its current 20 maxi - SSP councillor Jim Bollan has mum to 30, and wants kids to run pursued this alternative annually school libraries while the council in council, shed full-time librarians. Libraries winning the support of tenants’ or - face municipal vandalism, for in - ganisations and all the council Council Tax stance with seven Moray rural li - workers’ trade unions—but not a braries targeted for closure. majority of councillors, who hide Stirling council workers are in behind talk of having to obey the dispute over the council’s at - law and avoid being jailed. In fact tempts to impose literal pay cuts no such threat of imprisonment tax the rich 6 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • issue 448 WORKPLACE PHOTO: Craig Maclean exists, provided they sought mass thoroughly with the help of econ - support, rather than conduct a omists. The latest detailed figures folded-arms gesture. we compiled—four years ago— Thirty years ago the socialist show that far from Scotland suf - council in one city, Liverpool, fering devastating cuts at local dared to fight the Iron Lady her - level, our income-based Scottish self—arch Tory hate-figure Mag - Service Tax would mean about 80 gie Thatcher—and won, in 1984! per cent of people paying less than They gained about £65million they do under the Council Tax, the in grants and concessions off the super-rich paying a damned sight UK Tory government, allowing more, with the net result of in - the council to not only avoid all creasing council funding from cuts, but march forward with £1.8billion to £3.4billion a year massive reforms, building 5,000 (in 2010 figures). new council houses for rent, new Back in the 2011 Holyrood schools and nurseries, expanded elections, the SNP scented the social services, alongside a freeze popularity of the policy the SSP on rents and service charges, and had been conducting street cam - the creation of 12,500 building paigns and battles inside the trade workers’ jobs. unions for, adopted a bastardised And despite threats and sur - version of it, and won a massive charges, not one councillor was increase in their vote by promis - ever bankrupted or jailed; we built ing to scrap the Council Tax and a mass movement around them, introduce what they called ‘a local cudgeled the intransigent Tory income tax’. government into retreat, and But once elected, the SNP raised the cash to pay the council - failed to pursue this plan, and in - lors’ surcharges, raising tens of stead introduced the Council Tax thousands of working class peo - freeze. Welcome though it is to ple to their feet in the fightback. lower income families to not face All that in one isolated city, massive hikes in their bills, in fact smaller than Glasgow. this disproportionately helps the higher income households, and Nation in revolt adds another squeeze to council So imagine what a whole na - spending abilities. tion could achieve, if the SNP government, with the wind in TAX THE RICH: the SNP Government should scrap the Council Tax and Stolen billions its sails after the referendum, tax the rich instead, boosting annual income for local services and jobs The SSP would not endorse took this courageous course of Labour’s demand to end the defiance. But that requires the But that’s where the severe power to win back funding that freeze and let bills rip through the political will that flows from a shortcomings, the lack of socialist has been used to cut taxes to the roof for ordinary families. But in - vision of an entirely different vision, of the SNP government obscenely rich, if a Scots rebellion stead of freezing Council Tax kind of society. comes to bear down on us. Instead was led and encouraged by the bills, the SNP government should Instead of heeding and apply - of just blaming Westminster for elected Scottish Government! put the entire Council Tax system ing this precedent, the SNP has the cuts but then meekly passing About 80 per cent of council in deep freeze! Scrap it, and tax passed on about £3billion of them down to councils, NHS funding comes from the Scottish the rich minority their fair share Westminster cuts in the past three boards, colleges, etc, the SNP Government, most of the rest instead, boosting annual income years, and the recent Scottish government should be defying the from the Council Tax. Setting No for local services and jobs. Government budget included a Tory cuts, refusing to implement Cuts Defiance budgets at Scottish As council budgets are debated, further £500million cuts. them, mounting a campaign of the and in turn council levels would we need trade unionists, commu - It’s true that without the powers Scottish people, demanding back also buy the time to rush through nity groups and councillors to of full independence, any Scottish those stolen £billions—with ral - emergency legislation to abolish back the call for No Cuts budgets Government is hamstrung by the lies, mass demonstrations, strikes the hated, unequal Council Tax to be set, Defiance Budgets, with limitations of the block grant and occupations of threatened fa - and introduce in its place a pro - plans laid for campaigning on the handed over by Westminster, and cilities. gressive, income-based Scottish scale of the referendum in work - the Tories’ austerity drive has hor - Look at the panic-stricken re - Service Tax that could raise far places and communities around rific consequences for all the treats and promises of the West - greater funds for council jobs and the central message of ‘give us Scottish services and jobs de - minster cabal (Tory, Lib Dem and services. That’s what the SSP had back our stolen £billions—and pendent on this shrinking pot of Labour) in the face of a threatened in our founding programme back scrap the Council Tax, to instead money. Yes vote—and then imagine the in 1998, which we then costed tax the rich’.

issue 448 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • 7 WELFARE by , SSP national co-spokesperson

RECENTLY WE saw the ex - travaganza that is Children in Need, where a plenitude of More care charities celebrities urge us to donate to a charity which funds many proj - ects for the most vulnerable. The irony is, like the good hfavae beenc criticeal of Gltasghow e cuts cosh causes funded by The National Association of Mental Health. Lottery, it is ordinary people This is another cut to services to who donate the most. vulnerable adults. The Hamish Charities are becoming part Allen Centre was closed last of statutory services, providing year, and day services around services usually provided by Glasgow have been closed, with local authorities. many more to come. Glasgow Association of Men - They have been accused of tal Health seem to be the next tar - allowing direct payments, now get of austerity cuts, as a 40 per called self directed support cent cut to their budget next year (SDS), to be rolled out to their threatens them with closure. This service users. will again have the biggest im - Glasgow City Council have pact on their service users who been accused of using SDS as a CUTS COST LIVES: rely on the service for day to day means of cuts. SDS, according 500 people recently support and accommodation. to the legislation, should give protested against the power to people with disabili - cuts to Glasgow Vulnerable ties and their carers. Association of Mental Health’s budget More and more charities are The reality is that people can - PHOTO: UNISON Scotland facing financial difficulties. In not afford to fund existing care 2011 Quarriers made huge cuts packages. Voluntary organisa - centre for three days a week. Glasgow City Council, a to their workers’ salaries, claim - tions have also began to cam - “I can’t afford it” said Sarah. Labour-controlled authority, ac - ing financial difficulties. There paign against the “care tax”. “This will put us into poverty. I cuse the Scottish Government were some protests but the salary This is a payment which is a need a break. I thought self di - of cuts to the block grant while cuts went ahead, with some staff contribution to a service. rected support was meant to help the Scottish Government accuse losing a third of their income. ‘Sarah’ is a full time carer for us but it has made things worse.” Westminster. One of the reasons for this is her adult daughter who has Sarah’s daughter no longer The truth is that the Council that local authorities such as schizophrenia. Until two years attends the centre, which is Tax freeze and austerity cuts Glasgow City Council have ten - ago, her daughter attended a causing a lot of household mean the most vulnerable are dered their services to charities, day centre four days a week. stress. The irony is if Sarah is yet again caught in the crossfire. then cut back the budget they There was a minimum charge of no longer to care for her daugh - The post-referendum climate give them. Councils can still five pounds a week for meals. ter, the cost of residential care is going to be a very cold one for say they are not making cuts to Under the new system, she has will be in the region of at least the most vulnerable. Cuts to direct services. been asked to pay £60 a week for £4000 a month. jobs and essential services will Some carers and service users her daughter to attend the same continue. These cuts are only the Demo beginning. All over Scotland, A demonstration was held in SSP activists have been cam - Glasgow last week against the paigning for a living wage, but I cuts to Glasgow Association of would also urge you to partici - Fill in this formJ and osend iit tno: Sc ottishh Sociealist P aSrty, SuSite 37P 0, Mental Health’s budget. Around pate in actions of solidarity of 4th Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LD. Or phone: 500 people attended the largest those affected by the cuts, which 07810205747. Or join the SSP online: scottishsocialistparty.org/join-us protest since the Quarriers will only continue to increase. g I would like to join the Scottish Socialist Party workers’ demonstration. The thought of a 2015 General g I would like more info on the Scottish Socialist Party Glasgow City council seem Election victory for the Tories Name...... resolved to continue with the and UKIP will mean even Address...... cuts, saying those “known to greater cuts, as the poor continue ...... social work” will continue to re - to be demonised. Folk who are Phone...... ceive a service. service users and workers need However, it is evident that our support. I know we will not Email...... services will be drastically cut. let them or ourselves down.

8 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • issue 448 JONATHON SHAFI THE POLITICAL AWAKENING IS

bHy JonEathoRn ShEafi, R aTdicaOl ing . FSor neTw camApaigY ns, every Independence Campaign moment in their development is a test that must be passed. EVERYONE REMEMBERS If the first conference was a those exciting days and weeks flop, it would not have got off on the lead up the referendum. the ground. If the second con - For most of us this was the ference was not an improve - most exciting political period we ment, there would have been had ever been part of. It was full speculation about its demise. If of possibility and potential. it did not transfer the energy of This excitement expressed the meetings and conferences itself on the streets of cities, into mass action in communi - the town has of villages and in ties, it would have been written the Yes posters plastered all off as a talking shop. All of this, over our communities. The fu - and much more, has been an ture was in our hands, and the immense challenge. movement of movements But the biggest challenge which was forging the way to we face now is political. What a new Scotland was vibrant, direction should we take? How inclusive and diverse. can we be most useful to the NEW BEGINNINGS: radical ideas are now firmly part of mainstream discourse in Scottish politics PHOTO: Craig Maclean This surge in political action movement? What are our pri - did not dissipate after the ref - orities? There are no easy an - outlook. RIC is only one part of real debate and genuine social erendum. The huge shift in the swers for this. this, and the start of our contri - progress. It could herald the political landscape is historic bution post-No is this confer - start of a rebirth for the working and complex. It reflects the Broad movement ence. We still believe that class and socialist movement deep and profound political But we can be sure of some another Scotland is possible. in Scotland, after decades of awakening that has taken key features. We will remain as From land reform to oppos - neoliberal attacks. By learning place thanks to the referen - a broad movement of the radi - ing austerity and privatisation, from each other, taking part in dum process. cal left in Scotland. We will con - radical ideas are now firmly joint action opening a real dis - Every pro-independence or - tinue to engage on the social part of mainstream discourse in cussion about our collective ganisation reports the same: issues affecting ordinary peo - Scottish politics. Those ideas ambitions for socialism in Scot - new interest, surging atten - ple, and intensify our interna - will help to improve peoples land can take us all forward. dance at meetings and funda - tional relationships and outlook. lives in the here and now, and mentally a determination that We will remain an outward look - they will be critical to winning Basic rights we are not going back in our ing body of activism, inventing independence in the long run. We will of course face chal - box. This is what happens our own initiatives as well as Despite the massive recruit - lenges, but we will be stronger when people feel they have a supporting other people’s cam - ment experienced by the SNP, for facing them together. voice in the political debate. paigns for social justice. there is now a huge opportu - We are engaged in cam - People from all sorts of back - nity for the radical left to con - paigning for a socialist future, Impact grounds are involved in RIC. solidate its position built up because we know that we RIC has been an inspiring Socialists, greens, trade union - through the referendum need system change to bring and testing experience for ists, students, CND activists, process as part of the main - about an end to the deteriora - everyone involved. It is run by SNP members and so on. It is stream in Scottish politics. tion of living standards, our en - volunteers, and organised in also developing international There is an onus upon us all vironment and much more. local groups. It has been inspir - links with the likes of Syriza, to make sure that the potential At the same time, we need to ing because it shows that even Podemos, Quebec Solidaire is met in dynamic, outward urgently make progress in halt - if you don’t have an estab - and the CUP. Our commitment looking and inclusive ways. ing the austerity agenda and lished name, or any money, is to genuine social change Imagine a Scotland where the winning back basic rights. you can make a contribution and that has not dampened. radical left are the main opposi - There is lots we can campaign that makes an impact. For the The political awakening is tion to a social democratic SNP. for right now that can make a same reasons, it has been test - here to stay and it is radical in That would be a Scotland of difference: let’s make it happen.

issue 448 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • 9 MEDIA by Paul Holleran, Scottish Organiser, NUJ

IT HAS been said by many people in Scotland since the in - Nothing can be the same dependence referendum that “things will never be the same again”. Nothing could be truer for Scotland’s mBELLA eadnd Eviena ing Times, The Scots - on a number fronts but particu - CALEDONIA: man titles, while down south the larly regarding the future of the the call to scale of cuts is overwhelming become the Scottish press and media. media has our hard-pressed NUJ officials. Over the last five years, I been It is ironic that while main - have been involved in a couple taken stream press and broadcasters are of projects related to exploring up with trying to develop their online sec - the relationship between media gusto tor and turn a profit that might off- and the public. One such ven - set the losses caused by falling ture, working with academics circulation and advertising, there from Edinburgh (School of has been a healthy growth in al - Law) University, explored the ternative media reaching out to a breakdown in public trust. large section of the public hungry The extensive (but not com - for news and comment. pleted) study showed that there The expansion of member - are inherent dangers in such dis - Scotland particularly after the in - the option of a “review” of how ship among the Yes supporting trust, it is damaging to the concept dyref. A massive proportion of the BBC covered the referendum political parties has been phe - of democracy if people believe people who voted Yes appear to including the relationship be - nomenal as politics, democracy the majority of media outlets and lay a fair proportion of blame at tween BBC Scotland and the and representation become journalists cannot be trusted. the door of our press and media “powers that be” in London. everyday issues for a growing It is a serious threat to plural - for the result which prevented fur - In a recent recorded conver - number of folk. ism if aspects of media-owner - therance of independence. sation I had with Derek Bate - ship impinge on public faith in However large dollops of re - man, the former BBC presenter Become the media journalism, as increasingly sentment have been targeted at suggested the position reflected The use of social media has scepticism in the fourth estate the BBC with ongoing abuse that of the UK state, with Scot - exploded as part of this growing reaches new heights. hurled at the corporation manage - land having to go cap in hand awareness leading to demands There are glaringly obvious po - ment and journalists. The allega - for resources and major deci - for accurate, informative jour - litical identities within the press tions of bias during the indyref sion making to London. nalism. The call to become the with the right wing covered by the grew into large-scale demonstra - There is no doubt that in a media has been taken up with Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Ex - tions at Pacific Quay with plenty year when crucial discussions gusto with lots of new online press , while the Mirror, Daily of noise including threats made to take place on the BBC Charter sites delivering stories, correc - Record and Guardian are more journalists that they would be renewal, the status of BBC tions, campaigning and rabble liberal leaning but all are deemed sacked under a new Scottish Scotland will be under major rousing and generally holding to be firmly part of the wider es - Broadcast Corporation. The NUJ scrutiny. There is every likeli - those in power to account. tablishment by many people in Broadcasting Branch is exploring hood that broadcasting could Newsnet Scotland and Derek become a devolved power fol - Bateman, Bella Caledonia, lowing the final outcome of the Wings Over Scotland, Business Smith Commission. for Scotland are now being joined Both the NUJ and STUC by new ventures from Common - have argued that change as have Weal, Scottish News and other To subscribe to the – the SSP’s bi-weekly newspaper – other bodies including the SNP internet-based broadcasters. It is fill in this form and send it to: SSV, Suite 370, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. Phone: 07810205747. Cheques/POs payable to of course. Meanwhile while essential that trained journalists ‘Scottish Socialist Voice’. Or see: scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com most of the media remains prof - are involved in as many projects itable/successful, overall the like those named above. Name...... mainstream media continues to There will be a fully robust Address...... struggle as further cuts are pro - debate at the RIC conference in posed and implemented includ - Glasgow this weekend called ...... ing the latest blows to the “Beyond a Corporate Media” ...... Scottish press which are becom - and although it clashes with a Phone...... ing annual hardy events. major forum it promises to raise In Scotland alone we are fac - many important issues which Email...... ing editorial redundancies at will forge a healthier press and g £5 for 2 issues g £10 for 4 issues g £20 for 8 issues BBC, Daily Express , Herald media in this country.

10 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • issue 448 JOHN FINNIE MSP by John Finnie MSP IN ISSUE 445 of the Voice , I YES PARTIES AND CAMPAIGNERS commended the idea of collabo - rative working between the par - ties and individuals of the Yes NEED COMMON SET OF PRINCIPLES campaign for the UK General MORAL UNITY: build on what celebrate and build on what we we have in common Election next May. PHOTO: Simon Whittle have in common. Identities, both individual and There may be rare opportuni - party, were not lost in the com - ties for some individuals from out - mon pursuit of independence. with mainstream party politics But much common ground was ‘gifted’ nominations by the SNP, found: opposition to the renewal although the SNP will have no of Trident (indeed, to nuclear shortage of candidates of their weapons full stop), opposition to own, with many new members austerity, commitment to main - and opinion polling which sug - taining the NHS in public owner - gests the ease with which West - ship and strengthening welfare minster might be reached. support for our most vulnerable But the ‘Yes parties’ will in - all forged bonds. evitably find themselves not only Of course, a lot can happen in taking on the Tories, in their vari - a short time in politics. The mem - ous guises, but also each other. berships of the Scottish National Despite that, I do still believe Party (SNP), the Scottish Green join the SNP?” I’m sure you’ve agenda of essential principles, and hope the common principals Party and the Scottish Socialist worked out who’s who; the fourth with the MPs given autonomy to I outlined earlier could be for - Party continue to grow. A series can be found in Who’s Who . deal with issues outwith that mally agreed. We know at least of polls have shown the SNP At its recent conference, the agenda as dictated by their own 45 per cent of the electorate en - heading for over 50 per cent of SNP became the first party to conscience and judgement.” dorse them, way more than a the votes in the General Election, publicly rule out such inter-party While it could and will be ar - candidate ordinarily needs to win potentially holding the balance of cooperation. Instead they will gued that such an approach al - an MP election. power at Westminster. Alex consider selecting non-SNP ready exists in the form of “we It would be a missed opportu - Salmond has stood down as First members to stand under an SNP have some shared policies, that’s nity if Westminster’s anti-insur - Minister and been replaced by banner—so there’s hope yet for great,” we are still opponents. gent First Past The Post system Scotland’s first ever female First that celebrity yet. I have long believed that we combined with our political diver - Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, per - Some key changes have had tend to dwell longer on our dif - sity to deny us MPs representa - ceived by many as being to the an important effect on ruling out ferences rather than recognise, tive of our greater moral unity. left of her predecessor. the ‘single badge’ candidate ap - proach, not least the delay asso - ‘Yes Alliance’ ciated with the change in BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT So where stands the much leadership of the SNP. CRAIG MACLEAN vaunted ‘Yes Alliance’? Well, if a Meanwhile, one of our unionist recent tweet I spotted from a opponents is enjoying, or suffer - seasoned individual at the heart ing, a Branch Office leadership of campaigning, stating “There’s contest. The choice seems be - no such thing as a ‘Yes’ cam - tween a pro-Israel advocate of il - paign—we lost,” is anything to go legal wars and the reintroduction by, then “There’s no such thing of tuition fees and a champion of as a ‘Yes’ Alliance.” policies which, through com - Let me give you four quotes I mendable, are seen as outdated have heard in very recent times: by his party, and which he has “With this level of support we struggled to effectively advocate don’t need anyone else’s help. in media interviews. We should go it alone”, “Given So with the Tories being To - our surge in support the elec - ries, Labour being Tories and torate deserve the right to be able the Lib Dems being nauseating, to vote for our party in 2015”, “We isn’t there a need for some An A4 wall calendar, reflecting a are up for it and won’t be hard to après-Yes unity to be reflected historic year in pictures by photographer Craig MacLean. deal with,” and, finally, “I think I in campaigning? For a copy, email: should be allowed a crack at In October’s article I said I’d [email protected] Calendars £8 + £2 postage [noted Lib Dem]—would I need to “favour some form of common

issue 448 • scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com • 11 for Socialism, Independence and Internationalism Issue 448 21st November – 4th December 2014 email: [email protected] scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com Promoted by Jim McVicar on behalf of the Scottish Socialist Party, Suite 370, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD. Printed by Forward Graphics, Elderpark Workspace, 100 Elderpark Street, Glasgow G51 3TR

by Isobel Lindsay able expenditure, it is minor in comparison to to give us any chance of stopping the Trident Can Tridenthe mtain cosntractts. Tihis lgivels u s ba speceific de - scontrtactos or apchievinpg otheer redd-line is? sues THE REFERENDUM result was painful cision date on which to focus and its signifi - because the balance of power doesn’t offer for all of us but the outlook for the left on de - cance is that it is after the General Election. any leverage if the Tories vote with Labour. fence and international affairs issues was par - That election is, of course, the other target. One advantage we would have on the Tri - ticularly bleak. On domestic policy there were This opens up a strategy, part of which is within dent issue is that there would be some positive very slender hopes that there might be some Scotland’s influence and part is not. What we support for such a deal from the minority of left modest extension of powers and there were cannot predict in advance is whether there will wing Labour MPs and there would be financial still debates and choices around existing be a Westminster election that fails to produce attractions for the Treasury team. Also if there Holyrood powers. But the British state was an overall majority for any one party. Current are large numbers of pro-indy MPs, there will desperate to keep a tight grip on nuclear polls suggest that this is a very likely outcome be a much smaller number of Scottish Labour weapons, war and peace choices and repre - so we can reasonably plan for this. If we can MPs. This will be helpful in negotiating any sentation at international level. get a large Scottish group of MPs who are in - deal with Miliband since there will be many It is, after all, a state that defines itself dependent of the unionist parties, there could fewer of the visceral Scottish anti-SNP voices through militarism. That militarism is seen as be some real bargaining power. Clearly there in the Westminster Labour Group. vital to the UK’s international status. One of would be no deal to keep the Tories in power the repeated claims during the referendum but that does not mean that this takes the pres - Independent decisions campaign was that without Trident, Britain sure off Labour. While some of this is quite complex, the core would lose its seat on the UN Security Council A coalition would not be attractive to either message for voters in Scotland is not so difficult (what an example to the rest of the world). side but to offer a ‘confidence and supply’ deal to appreciate—a strong contingent of Scottish Arms manufacturing is one of the few man - in return for some significant concessions MPs can make independent decisions ufacturing areas still thriving and the UK is would be an important boost for a minority and put real pressure on Westminster around the fourth biggest arms exporter. Our Labour Government. ‘Confidence and on behalf of Scotland and, consequently, media is flooded with carefully contrived mili - supply’ gives the guarantee of a period in relation to many decisions also for the tary images and never-ending military an - in government without the threat of benefit of people in the rest of the UK. niversaries and events. losing a confidence motion and The question that Labour candidates who being forced to call a General claim to be anti-nuclear must answer in the Ministers’ illusory game Election and the supply side coming election is what evidence is there that Whatever the stated aim, the real establish - gives the guarantee of being they can bring about any change. ment aim is to try to convince us that the mili - able to pass finance bills. It was, after all, the Attlee Government that tary is beyond criticism and is synonymous On all other issues votes secretly started the nuclear weapons pro - with the glory of the great British state. would be cast on a case gramme. It was the 1964 Wilson Govern - British ministers love playing an illusory by case decision so the ment who went back on their pre-election game of being big international figures, government could be pledge and proceeded with the British Polaris ‘punching above our weight’, up for any mili - defeated on a bill but base at Faslane. It was the Blair/Brown Gov - tary intervention our big brother across the At - not have to resign. ernment that made the commitment to the lantic suggests. So with no early route to A deal of this second generation Trident programme. change through independence, what is the kind would be Independence is still our best hope and strategy for the Scottish left? necessary short of that a large group of Scottish pro- There are two dates which give us an early independence MPs in May could at least focus. In 2016 what are called the delay the new Tri - ‘main gate’ contracts for the new dent contracts. generation of Trident are due to be signed. This was delayed for about two TRIDENT STILL HAS TO GO NOW! years mainly because Faslane demo: Sun 30 Nov of design changes in An event bringing together anti-nuclear organisations the US pro - in Scotland with the intention of holding the gramme. biggest ever seen outside the gates of Faslane. Although Buses will drop off near the Peace Camp at the South end of the base at about 11.45am, from there there has al - we will make our way to the North Gate. ready been consider - • For details, see: www.scraptrident.org