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SLR 92 JAN FEB 2016 Web Copy ScottishLeft Review Issue 91 January/February 2016 - £2.00 Issue 91 January/February 2016 ScottishLeftReview - 1 ASLEF CALLS FOR AN INTEGRATED, PUBLICLY OWNED, ACCOUNTABLE RAILWAY FOR SCOTLAND (which used to be the SNP’s position – before they became the government!) Mick Whelan Tosh McDonald Kevin Lindsay General Secretary President Scottish Ocer ASLEF the train drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk ScottishLeftReview Cover and illustrations: Nadia Lucchesi Issue 91 January/February 2016 Contents ([email protected]) Proofing services: Comment .........................................................................................................................3 Bob Thomson and John Daly Why not try something different? Chris Stephens ..........................................................4 Honesty goes a long way - Drew Smith ...........................................................................6 Communications and Radicals can work together for radical outcomes - Anni Pues .........................................8 organisational development: How red can the greens be? Cat Boyd .............................................................................9 Carole Ewart Working for independence for women and workers - Sandra Mills ............................. 10 Trade union development officer: Further and higher education: under-loved and under-funded - Vonnie Sandlan ....... 11 David Brockett Reaction to Sturgeon’s speech - Carolyn Jones, Neil Findlay and Carole Ewart ............ 12 Editor Email: Corbyn: will he be captain of all he surveys? John McAllion ......................................... 13 [email protected] Hope in hard times? Stephen Smellie........................................................................... 14 Enhancing domestic security without military intervention abroad - Bill Bonnar ........ 15 Web: www.scottishleftreview.org Accounting for Trident? Lies and misinformation abound - Mike Danson ................... 17 Tel: 0141 424 0042 Taking the temperature after the Paris talks - Eurig Scandrett and Matthew Crighton . 19 Address: Make education for agitating and organising start in schooling John Daly .................. 20 Open letter to Phil Gormley - Niall McCluskey ............................................................. 22 Scottish Left Review, Dangers posed by imminent fiscal trap - Jim Cuthbert ................................................. 23 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, The battle over the bill continues - Mary Senior .......................................................... 25 Glasgow G41 4PL Westminster trials and tribulations - Tommy Sheppard ............................................... 26 No talking to the taxman as the taxman isn’t listening - Joy Dunn ............................... 27 Printed by The beginning of the end for the Bolivarian revolution? Francisco Dominguez ........... 28 Hampden Advertising Ltd, Fair trade coffee: unfairness comes as standard Azeez Abiola Oyedele ....................... 29 70 Stanley Street, Poets’ page Rab Wilson, James Aitchison and David Betteridge ................................... 30 Glasgow G41 1JB, Vladimir McTavish’s Kick up the Tabloids ..................................................................... 31 Tel: 0141 429 1010 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 91 January/February 2016 feedback comment New year – same old struggle hough it’s customary to say the polls despite losing two of its MPs undercut internal opposition to Jeremy ‘Happy New Year’, we know and being subject to mounting criticism and John. Tthere’ll be nothing particularly on a range of issues, it does appear Third, on Syria, many progressives happy about 2016 unless there are to show some signs of responding commented the vote to start aerial major changes in society. Part of to progressive criticism (such as on bombardment showed politicians achieving that will be about what income tax, tax credits compensation, ‘hadn’t learnt the lessons of Iraq and happens on 5 May 2016 so we lead the council tax, and Sunday shopping Afghanistan’. They are right when on this. We asked members of the regulation). But again this is more in reviewsthey meant bombing ‘does not work’ progressive parties and organs of civil the vein of potentially stopping things because it creates more suffering, society what they’d like to see in the getting worse than start making things instability and hatred. But these well party manifestos. But we also know better. This is because what passes for intentioned people were completely that 5 May 2016 will not be the final social democracy in both its Scottish wrong in thinking politicians are matter. Hence, other articles cover Labour and SNP forms searches for capable of learning in a logical, wider politics in Britain, Europe and social justice within the confines of dispassionate way. elsewhere. existing power and interest structures. The vote to bomb – Labour MPs But for the time being, we have to So social justice is never conceived in included – reflects three things, start somewhere - and so we asked terms of wealth distribution from one namely, power, material interests and contributors to concentrate a number class (the ruling class) to another (the ideology (and their maintenance and of issue for the manifestos, namely, i) working class) – and it is scarcely ever extension). Ruling class politicians and Trident; ii) austerity; iii) human rights; conceived in terms of stopping one their acolytes cannot be expected to iv) Trade Union Bill; and v) taxation. class (the ruling class) exploiting the learn anything other than what tactics Recalling our last issue, we also asked other class (the working class). are better or worse in advancing and for two reflections upon analysis of Second, Corbyn has still to find his defending their interests. That is why Corbyn’s victory and developments mojo because the new way of doing building a bigger and more influential since then. We did similarly with the ‘new politics’ can only take him anti-war movement is vital because Sturgeon’s speech on the occasion of so far until it becomes obvious there’s only through pressure not logical her delivering the third annual Jimmy a lack of hard substance. This means argument will pro-war politicians Reid Foundation lecture. taking the initiative overall and doing so change course. This will not be easy as Currently, three things stand out must comprise taking many initiatives. it is only when body bags come home about i) Scottish politics, ii) Labour Unfortunately, John McDonnell’s in sufficient numbers resultant from and iii) imperialism. First, the politics ‘socialism with an iPad’ was nothing ground wars or fighting foreign wars of the campaigns and manifestos of more than reheated Keynesianism which gravely affect living standards progressive parties must be more (see Guardian 19 November 2015). back home that anti-war movements heavily focussed upon more than Without measures to redistribute become mass movements. just stopping things getting worse. the wealth created by this particular Finally, an erratum – the article in So much of current left politics from state intervention, it will simply and SLR 90 was by John, not Jim, Slaven. Scottish Labour and the SNP is about mostly go to those that already have Apologies there. stopping the Tories doing ‘x’ or ‘y’. it – hence the phrase ‘money begets We need to raise our sights and say money’. There was certainly no Editorial Committee we want that and more, much more. socialism involved in this policy launch. Take for example, the SNP Scottish The decision by Jeremy and John to Bill Bonnar Pat Kelly Government’s exclusion of blacklisters not countenance local council ‘needs Cat Boyd Lilian Macer from tendering for public contracts budgets’ because of their unlawfulness Gordon Morgan from April 2016 or its maintenance of is another disappointment. Both need Sarah Collins the Scottish Agriculture Wages Board. to make the case for the state owning Tommy Sheppard Good but not good enough – because Moira Craig and controlling the commanding Dave Sherry the Welsh Assembly Government has heights of the economy for the benefit Gregor Gall already excluded blacklisters since2013 Stephen Smellie of the majority. Without that, the Editor and maintaining the wages board in prospects for winning in 2020 let alone Bob Thomson itself does not end low pay. building effective resistance now are Tommy Kane Convener Although, the SNP remains Teflon like in not good. These are the very things to Issue 91 January/February 2016 ScottishLeftReview - 3 Why not try something different? Chris Stephens says Scottish Labour has the chance to shed its skin eing asked to draw up have presented opportunities to are protected and diversification is a manifesto for political present distinct Scottish messages, enacted. It can also demonstrate Bopponents is the equivalent and step away from Labour’s daily other areas that can be spent of entering into a fantasy football civil war that is much in evidence on defence, strengthening naval contest without being able to pick at Westminster. The behaviour I defence, and publicly insist Royal your favourite players and hoping witness from some Progress MPs Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships can to lose. The opportunities to make to their fellow party members is be dealt with through the same mischief are obvious. But I’ve less than comradely. Discipline, procurement process as Ministry decided give it a ‘square go’. message and respect for democratic of Defence ships, and avoid the mandates
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