ScottishLeft Review Issue 124 July / August 2021 - £2.00 'best re(a)d' 'best 1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 feedback

comment Non-death of neo-liberalism and ‘new’ Labour returns his is an editorial of two parts. If we can talk of a particular period consensus’ where both Labour and Tory The first parts deals with the of ‘COVID capitalism’, we are still, parties, in and out of office, agreed on Tstrange non-death of neo- nonetheless, talking about an economic the balance between private and state liberalism and the second with the and social system where power and activity. In amongst all this, there were changing class alignments and voting wealth lies in the hands of a tiny price controls on the likes of food and patterns, especially in terms of Labour. minority of people. Here, the state has rent. Indeed, the consensus led to a So, nothing much about the new SNP been colonised and taken over by their new political term to be created in the friends and advisers so that the state reviews Scottish Government or independence 1950s called ‘Butskellism’ as the Tory’s as nothing much has happened on supports the interests of this tiny group Rab Butler and Labour’s Hugh Gaitskell, these in ‘big picture’ terms since 6 May of people. when Chancellors of the Exchequer, 2021 and is not likely until the summer This is to be able to see the ‘wood’ pursued similar economic and fiscal is over at least. rather than the ‘trees’ because you’d policies. So, with extensive - and sometimes think at times that BoJo’s government Yet, capitalism endured as property unprecedented - economic and social was anti-business and even anti- rights were protected. The protection state intervention for well over a year capitalist given the howls and shrieks of property rights meant that wealth, now, it would be easy for anyone with coming from some companies, whether in turn, meant power. Despite rent left-wing political inclinations to think exporters to mainland Europe or those controls, much rented private housing that the neo-liberal, ‘free market’, in the tourism, hospitality and leisure was very inadequate. And so much so Thatcherite economic model has had sectors. that the notorious behaviour of London its day. That’s certainly what many Going a bit further back in time slum landlord, Peter Rachman, gave people hope. But unfortunately, it’s provides us with an even more rise to the popular term, ‘Rachmanism’, just not true. The leopard of capitalism illuminating illustration of the for flagrantly ripping off tenants. He has not fundamentally changed its power, adaptability and resilience of pioneered avoiding rent controls and spots. Indeed, it’s a bit like expecting capitalism. After the Second World War, subdividing houses many times over that Boris Johnson would be a more British capitalism was on its knees. In into flats. Sound familiar today? considerate and compassionate human 1947, it was bailed out by the Anglo- These limited incursions into the being after recovering from his near American Loan Agreement – effectively freedom and power capitalism were death COVID illness. Marshall Aid – for Britain from the not permanent features of society It’s not just because the considerable United States. In return for a low in Britain as Labour MP, Anthony state intervention is temporary, whether interest loan, finally paid off in 2006, Crosland, predicted in his influential in terms of lockdown movement British markets at home and abroad book, The Future of Socialism, in 1956. restrictions, emergency business funding were opened up to US capitalism. We all know about the spectacular or the job furlough scheme. It’s really But British capitalism as a system success of Thatcher and the Tories more of a case of state intervention was also bailed out by domestic in dismantling the limited controls being used to support capitalism in state intervention. This was the great on capital that had been previously order to get it through the pandemic reforming Labour government led introduced. and then return to what it once was – a by Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, When we look back at COVID capitalism free market version. and the intervention took the form in years to come, alas, we will not have There is an obvious recent historical of the nationalisation of the railways, seen a return to something akin to the parallel. In Britain, after the Global coal, steel and so on along with the constraints that existed under the likes Financial Crisis of 2008-2009, huge creation of the welfare state and NHS. of Clement Attlee. This will not have sums of public money were used to While there was an obvious benefit been a return to some kind of halcyon to workers as the ‘five evils’ of want, support the financial system especially. days of social democracy where there disease, ignorance, squalor and This led to talk of ‘nationalisation’ and was a mixed economy. Capitalism may idleness were attacked, it was also the even ‘socialism for the bosses’. Not only at times take on different complexions case that key sectors of the economy did the use of public money not bring but fundamentally it is defined by the were stabilised and modernised for the about popular control of the banks like freedom of a minority of capitalists benefit of capitalism overall. RBS and Lloyds-TSB but government to pursue profit at the expense of the shares were returned to private Such state intervention laid the basis majority. From the 1800s onwards ownership as soon as possible. of what was known as the ‘post-war when capitalism first emerged in 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Britain, the period of 1945-1979 was worsening for Labour. Its majority (BFAWU) union in June. Still treated the exception and not the norm. over the Tories fell from 8,961 votes as an embarrassing relative at a in 2017 to 3,525 in 2019 (albeit having family gathering, the BFAWU has If there are any differences to emerge risen from 6,057 in 2015). Even if been angered the absence of any between pre- and post-pandemic we attribute the better performance consultation with it over Labour’s capitalism, they are more likely to in 2017 to Corbynism, and pan out policy to Covid workplace regulations. be about the terms of trading for from Batley and Spen to the rest of Its survey showed that while 88% voted capitalists of different nations in England, the evident trend still suggests in the 2019 election only 53% voted Non-death of neo-liberalism terms of customs and tariffs. Social something very worrying is going on Labour. Only 24% ‘felt strongly’/’felt’ inequalities will continue to grow for Labour at a more deep-seated that Labour represented their and workers’ rights be kept in check. level. The wild card in Batley and Spen values and interests while 51% ‘felt and ‘new’ Labour returns Those are the main things that the was George Galloway. It would be too strongly’/’felt’ it did not. 53% felt the competing capitalists certainly do have easy to say that all of his 8,264 votes union should disaffiliate from Labour. a consensus on. would have gone to Labour had he not Alongside Labour’s decline, we also stood. Many were likely to have been What other conclusions can be drawn must consider the relative rise of the anti-Labour votes from the Muslim here? Neo-liberalism is not over by Greens. Save for first-past-the-post, community and the left a long way; state intervention has the Greens could replace the LibDems been to support, not supersede, This journal has covered the situation as the fourth largest party in Britain neo-liberalism; the state and neo- in Scotland in the last editorial and, in overall. In early June, voting intentions liberalism are not anathema to each this issue, Darren Williams analyses the amongst among 18-24 year-olds other. Indeed, the state can be used situation in Wales. So, let’s return to showed Labour was at 35% (-21 since to create new markets (in the likes of what’s happening in England and how 2019 general election), and the Greens care). Lastly, Keynesian is not solely does this relate to class? Are the Tories on 27% (+23), according to YouGov. synonymous with state intervention – becoming the party of workers (at least The importance of focusing upon here the key issue is which class is the by voting support)? Leading political beneficiary from the intervention. Labour’s leadership is often misplaced. scientist, Professor Matthew Goodwin If Starmer stood down and was Let’s now turn to the issues of voting of the University of Kent, makes the replaced by Angela Rayner, who is patterns and class alignments. It seems following type of argument: Labour hardly of the left, only a very slight both red northern and blue southern was built by and for organised labour positive difference might be made walls are starting to fall apart where based on being the left to the Tories’ in as much as she is perceived as a the common denominator is Labour’s right. Even with that, and setting aside northern traditional whereas Starmer is poor performance. The debate rages 1997 (which was no red revolt), Labour perceived as a southern cosmopolitan. as to whether Labour’s decline is has not won a solid majority for more Identifying Labour’s 44 most vulnerable secular or cyclical. In the Chesham and than half a century. This then raises seats, Matthew Goodwin calculated Amersham by-election in June, saying the issue of why so many workers – 39 are outside of London and the that there were idiosyncratic, local the biggest social class – do not vote south and calls them ‘Red Wall 2.0’. factors is not enough to explain Labour Labour if it is the party of labour. Today, Without at least securing them, he getting just 622 votes (1.6%) - less than Labour is strong in the metropolitan argues Labour has no route back to Greens and less than there are Labour areas amongst the more middle-class office if it has any prospect of winning members in the constituency. ‘cosmopolitans’ but not amongst the the popular vote in England (which it more working-class ‘traditionalists’ in has not done since 2001). For Labour This built pressure on Starmer after urban areas, highlighting, he argues, not to win the next election, it needs the Labour lost Hartlepool in May. so much class fissures but those of age, about 125 seats, eclipsing the swings In a Piers Morgan interview in early education attainment and geography. Attlee and Blair achieved in 1945 and June, Starmer predicted the easing of This is why some say we live in an age of 1997. Labour needs to be 12 points restrictions would allow the political identity politics. The Tories are no longer ahead when it is, on average, 10 points space to open up for Labour and that just the party of the rich and Labour is behind. this summer was potentially make no longer the party of the poor. or break for the party. It seems he The paradox of Starmer is that he is was wrong on the first and the jury is Other analysts suggest the situation is ‘new’ Labour having progressively still out on the second. Indeed, since even more straightforward. In fact, they ditched Corbyn-era policies (which suggest that it is the voting behaviour the Covid-19 vaccination programme he claimed he would not do in his of older people (65+) who are home- began, Labour has slumped in the manifesto for the Labour leadership). owners, more numerous and more polls and that’s despite Hancockgate, And yet, he does not have the cutting likely to vote than 18-24 year-olds that cronyism and the like. edge or elan that Blair gave ‘new’ explains why the Tories are eclipsing Labour. Hence, many voters say they Winning the Batley and Spen by- Labour. This analysis says talk of blue do not know what Labour stands for election in July by just 323 votes and red walls is fatuous as it’s a grey anymore. So, policies are important meant Starmer survived what would wall that is the main determining but they are in themselves not the have amounted to vastly increased factor. full picture. We could be witnessing a pressure to resign. And though a Some indication of Labour’s widening long-term and deep-seated class re- by-election result is not synonymous woes was revealed by the membership alignment of party politics. with preceding general election results survey conducted by the Labour- in the same seat, the trend is ever affiliated Baker and Food Workers’ 3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Calling out the climate emergency: creating concrete outcomes at COP26 Mary Church and Niamh McNulty lay out what the conference needs to do and what will be done in Glasgow to push it toward that lasgow is to play host to COP26 progress was made at the recent virtual and the poorer countries of the global - otherwise known as the 26th intersessional talks, while attempting to South - who have done least to cause Gconference of the parties to the hold complex multilateral negotiations the climate crisis - focus on these United Nations Framework Convention online with power cuts and poor questions which are key to unlocking on Climate Change - at a critical moment connectivity hampering discussions essential global cooperation. These for the international climate emergency demonstrated why an in-person summit questions are present across numerous response. While there is relatively (when safe to do so) is necessary. negotiation tracks. little in terms of major outcomes The 2015 Paris Agreement represented to be reached in the negotiations Drawing on these principles, an important step forward in terms of themselves (for example, compared to international civil society organisations enshrining the critical 1.5 threshold. the Copenhagen and Paris talks), the ℃ have come together as the Civil Society But the price of securing almost summit takes place as the devastating Review to publish a series of reports universal ratification was a voluntary impact of global 1 increased warming assessing global climate action under ℃ pledge-and-review approach to bringing is becoming the ‘new normal’, as the Paris Agreement through a ‘Fair down emissions rather than a science- public support for climate action is at Shares’ lens. This work shows rich based cap, with the remaining carbon an all-time high, and as governments’ historical polluters are not taking budget allocated equitably between abject failure to respond to the crisis anywhere near their fair share of climate states. Countries were supposed to and implement the Paris Agreement action, in terms of emissions reductions submit updated and enhanced pledges is increasingly apparent. As such it is a and climate finance, while many global for action under the agreement by the litmus test for the global climate regime. South countries are committed to taking end of 2020. Few met this, with the Moreover, what is on the negotiation up their fair share - or more - of action. latest UN synthesis report showing table has the potential to fatally The fair shares model is increasingly that pledges submitted to date put the undermine the Paris Agreement’s goal cited by global South parties in the UN world on track for a 3-4oC increase in of limiting the global heating increase to talks. warming. New research shows more well below 2 and pursuing efforts to ℃ recent targets announced by parties Analysis based on this methodology hold it at 1.5 . ℃ (including the US) would limit increased shows how bringing emissions to real- zero in Britain is barely half the story Scheduled to take place as the world warming to 2.4℃ though the policies continues to battle the covid-19 to deliver them - assuming they were when it comes to doing our fair share pandemic, and with vaccine apartheid implemented - would fall short of that of climate action. We need to make substantial emissions cuts happen raising major challenges in hosting a fair, inadequate goal and take us to a 2.9℃ accessible and transparent summit, it increase. internationally to fulfil the other part also brings into sharp focus the multiple of our fair share. Climate finance and COP26 will, therefore, see a reckoning crises and deeply entrenched injustices other forms of support (including, for of the Paris regime which is failing interconnected with the example, technology transfer) for global to deliver the urgency and ambition climate emergency, and south countries are central to this. If needed, with the science the calls for a Britain was to reduce its own emissions showing that, at present, global green to real-zero by 2030 (the current target emissions rates for the recovery. is net-zero by 2050), it would still be remaining carbon Little, if responsible for an estimated £1trillion budget of an 1.5 any, ℃ equivalent in support for developing increase will be used countries, with Scotland being up in as little as five responsible for a portion of this in terms years. of mitigation and finance. Most of the At Copenhagen in 2009, global North issues arising countries promised $100bn pa by at COP centre 2020 to support global South countries around mitigation and adaptation efforts. questions This nice round figure was plucked of equity, from thin air rather than based on any historic robust analysis, such as the fair shares responsibility methodology, of what was needed and capability or owed. Progress towards even this to act - inadequate goal has been painfully slow. principles The OECD put climate finance at $70bn that are pa in 2017, however only a fraction enshrined in of this is grant-funding, the majority the UN Climate being in the form of interest-accruing Convention and loans or private finance. Oxfam analysis that are at the heart demonstrates even these figures are of climate justice. grossly inflated, based on significant Long-term tensions over-reporting, and that climate finance between the rich historical is taking a growing share of overseas polluters of the global North development assistance. Climate finance 4 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 - and the lack of anything like the sums zero urgently. Even if time wasn’t an power for system change. We also seek needed on the table - is always a hugely issue, there is no evidence that carbon to use the COP as leverage to advance contentious issue at COP. This year’s markets are effective, with both the climate justice at the domestic level, summit will see discussions on a new EU emissions trading scheme and the including by securing wins from the long-term finance goal begin. Success Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Scottish and UK Governments, and to will be judged on whether progress is Mechanism failing to reduce emissions. exert pressure on the UN process itself made towards ensuring the new long- Crucially, the Paris Agreement fails to to ensure the best outcome possible. term finance goal is based on science set the science-based cap necessary Furthermore, we are coming together to and the needs of global South countries, for ensuring carbon trading could deepen our understanding of the root unlike the current unfulfilled goal. work, even theoretically. On top of causes of, and the common solutions As the reality of climate change at this, offsetting and trading schemes are to, the multiple inter-connected crises associated with serious human rights only 1℃ warming starts to hit home, of climate and nature emergency, adaptation to impacts and support for abuses and land grabs, particularly poverty and hunger, racism and neo- loss and damage are becoming ever impacting Indigenous peoples. Because colonialism, sexism and gender violence more pressing. The Paris Agreement of the pressure to secure an outcome to name but a few. In doing so, we seek requires action on adaptation, including on Article 6, the danger is of bad rules to grow, strengthen and connect justice financial support for global South getting through, like those developed movements for the struggle that will countries, but action to date is hugely in Madrid which would have seen huge continue long after COP26 has left town. inadequate. COP26 needs to secure amounts of ‘hot air’ carbon credits being COP26 will see powerful decentralised progress towards a new global goal carried forward, busting an impossibly mobilisations, with a focus on Glasgow, for adaptation, including ensuring that large hole in remaining carbon budgets. as part of a global call to action (5-6 50% of climate finance goes towards Opposing carbon markets will be a November), and a hybrid in-person/ adaptation. major focus for climate justice groups at COP26. virtual Peoples’ counter-summit (7-10 Loss and damage addresses what November) taking place as the focal happens when countries can no longer For progress to be made at COP26, point of the climate justice movements adapt to the impacts of climate change, Britain needs to show leadership by activities. Our mobilisations and events encompassing both economic and non- acknowledging and taking steps towards will connect to, hear from and exert economic losses. Ultimately, it is about delivering its fair share is key to this. pressure on what’s going on inside the identifying liability for causing climate But it is a distant prospect under the talks. An important part of our work impacts and providing compensation current Government, with its focus on is centring the voices of those most to those at the sharp end. Key to loophole riddled net-zero targets, and impacted by the climate crisis including global South countries’ demands is inadequate climate finance further frontline and Indigenous communities in that additional resources for loss and undermined by hypocritical support the global South. This involves practical damage are required - otherwise the for fossil fuel expansion and cuts to action like creating spaces and providing risk is of the finance cake simply being overseas development aid. Meanwhile, platforms as well as support for visas cut into smaller slices. A key COP26 test the Scottish Government is adept in and travel. It is also an important will be whether it ensures the rapid the language of climate justice and moment to connect global struggles and effective operationalisation of the just transition - the latter of which will to local issues, building support for Santiago Network, the purpose of which be a major theme for its work around local campaigns such as Free our City is to catalyse technical assistance on loss COP26 - but neither ambition nor action and Glasgow Calls out Polluters to put and damage, in line with global South yet live up to the rhetoric. That’s why pressure on the local, Scottish and UK needs. climate justice groups will be using the Governments to move past the rhetoric summit to pressure both governments and towards concrete action on climate One of the main issues on which a to do their fair share of climate action: emergency and just transition. concrete outcome is sought in Glasgow by reducing emissions to real zero, by Find out more about how you can get is under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 paying their carbon debt, by ending involved in our ongoing work for climate which deals with voluntary cooperation support for oil and gas expansion and by justice at: www.cop26coalition.org between parties to help achieve moving beyond the rhetoric to deliver a emissions reductions. This may sound just transition. Mary Church is Head of Campaigns at positive, but it is the part of the Paris Friends of the Earth Scotland and Niamh Agreement that Shell boasted it wrote. Glasgow hosting COP26 presents a once- McNulty is co-founder of Climate Camp It opens the door to global carbon in-a-lifetime opportunity for building Scotland. markets that would allow polluters to the climate justice movement here in continue emitting greenhouse gases, Scotland. Activists and organisations for a price, either through trading or have come together under the umbrella offsetting. It is the last part of the Paris of the COP26 Coalition to organise Agreement on which more detailed around the summit in a way that centres rules need to be established. Both the transformation and climate justice, and 2018 Katowice talks and 2019 Madrid to create space for hope. talks failed to agree here, and there will EDITORIAL COMMITTEE The COP26 Coalition includes unions, Bill Bonnar Lilian Macer be huge pressure on COP26 to secure an direct action groups, students and outcome, with the success or failure of youth, migrant and racial justice groups, Carole Ewart Carol Mochan the UK Presidency being assessed in no NGOs, faith groups, and grassroots Roz Foyer Gordon Morgan small part on it. and international climate justice Gregor Gall Dave Sherry Carbon markets have no role to play in networks. We have established an Editor Stephen Smellie responding to the climate emergency. International Committee to ensure Tommy Kane Chris Stephens Given the carbon budget for 1.5℃ runs we are accountable to international Pat Kelly Maggie Chapman out in a few years, there is no time climate movements. Our aim is to use Convener Bob Thomson left to trade emissions anymore. All the summit as a moment to strengthen Bill Ramsay Vice Convener countries need to reduce emissions to the climate justice movement to build 5 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Freeports or greenports: Guantanamo Bays of neo-liberalism or marrying economic and environmental concerns? Peter Henderson surveys the dangers of freeports and wonders whether the SNP’s ‘greenports’ policy can square the circle. he latest UK Government proposals the freeport but in areas far from their things go wrong or worse? What future to regenerate the economy are actual location. There is, of course, an for local regeneration planning in the Tfreeports while the Scottish immediate threat to local jobs and local face of such unfair competition? Crucial Government’s alternative has been economies and local workers’ rights, but also is the potential to misunderstand labelled ‘greenports’, incorporating the freeports invidious reach is much what a twenty-first century ‘freeport’ aspects of its Fair Work and Net Zero greater. The attraction to concentrate actually is. It’s not just a coastal port as agendas. The freeport concept is, of industry in one centre for tax benefits it can include airports and sites quite course, not new and has been tried in is easily understood but all of the far inland too. Often, they are industrial many jurisdictions before. In essence, downsides need to be considered. estates, usually a fenced-in area of up to goods and materials can be taken into 300 hectares. an area (which is much larger than the There are security issues too - not only port itself), manufactured, and then local but national ones too. There is While research and development of re-exported without the payment of the obvious risk to goods being fed into green technology and net zero targets duty or tax. Elsewhere in the world, the economy. Goods from Freeports, may benefit from freeports, is there the nomenclature is normally ‘free being duty, VAT and tax free, could be not an alternative system that can be trade zone’ and, sometimes, ‘export diverted to the home market and not put in place under existing controls and production zone’. exported, so undermining revenue and protections? On enquiring if there would taxation income, and the domestic be recruitment for additional control Notwithstanding the differences in industry leading to loss of employment. staff and inspection, I am informed that emphasis between the Scottish and Freeport companies still make their there are no plans to do so. It’s ironic UK governments’ version, there are profits but their cheaper goods into that the freeport model is on the retreat no union recognition agreements that home markets have major effects if in other parts of the world and the EU, are enforceable and no stipulations there are no checks and controls. For though possibly another consequence where companies are registered. This is example, goods can be ‘lost’ in transit of Brexit. After a career in customs important in terms of accountability if between sites, with environmental risks and excise in the UK and overseas things go wrong - as experience shows, if there are not adequate controls. For jurisdictions and now a senior local they often do. If the operators are not example, there are potential threats in government elected representative, I registered in the UK, how can they be terms of illegal goods, counterfeit goods, appeal to all involved, both at UK and meaningfully acted against? How can illegal chemicals, firearms and other employment rights be pursued? There Scottish levels, to think through all of potentially hazardous materials. All these issues. are no guarantees that at least the could leave the freeport unchecked or Scottish living wage will be paid, no unverified as such because in a sense as SNP Councillor, Peter Henderson, is guarantees that UK health and safety they were ‘never there’. the Leader of South Ayrshire Council. regulations and laws will be applied. He continues to be a Prospect union How will environmental rules and Then there are the challenges faced regulations be applied? And if so, how by the local authorities in the places member. He was previously a lay official will they be enforced? where the freeports are located. On for a number of civil service unions and the environmental front will they have is currently a Convention of Scottish Freeports can work and provide responsibility for cleaning up any mess if Local Authorities (COSLA) representative. employment, but they also require to be strictly controlled. Examples are rife of counterfeit products being transferred through them. Goods such as stolen artwork, smuggled goods, goods that have infringed trademarks have been trafficked though freeports. Freeport, therefore, have potential undermine trade and with it the wider economy. Launch of critique of Scottish Government’s As such we must ensure that HMRC ‘Fair Work’ policy, 17 August 7pm has the powers to intervene, and that environmental health, Scottish The Foundation launches the critique by Professor Gregor Gall on Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Tuesday 17 August at 7pm. The discussant is Roz Foyer, STUC general trading standards and port control can all apply all their appropriate controls. secretary. The paper can be accessed at https://reidfoundation. Freeports could be hugely damaging to scot/2021/06/critique-of-scottish-governments-fair-work-policy- the environment with the possibility of heretofore banned substances leaking published/ into the surrounding area or passing into local economies. Register for the launch at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/critique- There is a major danger of employment of-scottish-governments-fair-work-policy-tickets-162134208783 displacement not only in the locality of 6 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Flamingo Land’s Lomond Banks: just fun and frolics for the economy or frivolous fallacy for the environment? Annie Morgan takes the Scottish Government to task for not sinking the proposal to profit from environmental destruction cottish Enterprise, owner of the communities who are often excluded tickets, visits to the many unique aspects land, recently withdrew from the from participation in local decision of our history and natural heritage. To Spotential planning application making about their places’. The EA is offer the development to a theme park by the Lomond Banks, a subsidiary of also flouting the Scottish Government’s operator with no knowledge of history, theme park operator, Flamingo Land, own policy and the statutory objectives culture, or landscape, demonstrates a after Lomond Banks submitted a request of the National Park, a policy which has lack of respect. for an Environmental Impact Assessment the declared aim of ‘Protecting Scotland, Fostering a strong connection with (EIA) or ‘screening and scoping option’. Renewing Scotland’. the natural world can be the heart This request represents a preliminary The Scottish Government has declared of protecting the environment. Agri- step towards a proper planning an intent to protect and promote tourism can foster this protection. application. Scottish Enterprise’s biodiversity and the First Minister states Sustainable tourism, in its truest sense, withdrawal should not be taken at face that Scotland must lead the way in recognises the fragility of tourism and value as it was done without consulting facing challenges to biodiversity. This its importance to the Scottish economy. or informing local campaigners. then is the ‘national significance’ flag. The pillars of sustainable tourism In this context, this article calls upon the The conference of the parties to the include social justice, environmental Scottish Government and its relevant United Nations Framework Convention integrity and fair work principles. on Climate Change (COP) emphasises ministers – primarily, Kate Forbes, The hospitality sector is fraught that biodiversity is essential for human Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the with practices which the Fair Work life. The Inter-Governmental Science- Economy, and Michael Matheson, Convention (FWC) must address. Loch Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy Lomond hotels often use zero-hours Ecosystem Services (IPBES) stated in and Transport - to intervene with contracts, seasonal work with no career its 2019 report that ‘the loss of species reference to the impact upon the pathways and low pay. The Flamingo and habitats poses as much danger to environment, specifically with regard to Land proposals do not contain re- life on earth as climate change does’. the Drumkinnon Woods, the National assurances on fair work adherence. The In the Scottish context, the 2019 state Park reserve and local communities. touted large number of prospective jobs of nature report, containing the best The Save Loch Lomond campaign seeks (600) in construction and hospitality available data on Scotland’s species and do not provide a lasting legacy in to give voice to the local communities’ habitats, shows a 49% decline in the concerns and to halt the conditional employment prospects for the local and studied species and that one in nine surrounding communities. The Jimmy missive, that is, the exclusivity species are threatened with extinction. agreement (EA) with the developers. Reid Foundation recently highlighted the Some 13,000 signatories have called The immediate environment of failure of the FWC to regulate (without for it to be scrapped. This follows Drumkinnon Woods would be impacted statutory underpinning) to ensure the 60,000 objections to the original negatively and the National Park Reserve employers offer regular hours, career planning application from Flamingo has a statutory responsibility to protect pathways, decent pay and job security. Land, amounting to being the most – as a haven for wildlife. Wildlife, insects, There is no mention of ensuring the 600 unpopular planning application for land birds, trees, water-species, woodlands, jobs will offer the aforementioned. use in Scottish history. In cases where and rivers, are especially vulnerable. The local community has alternative developments are controversial or of Noise, light, traffic emissions, increased concepts best outlined by themselves. national significance, they can be taken pollution, are all exacerbated by a high Other regeneration examples, for out of local planning authorities to concentration of visitors in one area. Jet instance, Raploch in Stirling, point to be decided by Scottish ministers. This skis and speed powered boats currently a community-based campus offering potential development is undoubtedly adding to the problem. training in keeping with local interests both. The main artery to the loch, the A82 is and retro-fitting and regenerating the housing stock. Regenerating agriculture, The EA is contrary to Scottish constantly busy, often congested with growing spaces, climate jobs, just Government policy on community resulting particulate pollution for the transition, are all key aspects for involvement as set out in its Programme local and surrounding communities. recovery from the pandemic and central for Government of September It is reported that over 80% of visitors to climate, environmental protections. 2020. This programme emphasises to Balloch come by private car. Yet the community-led place-based renewable Dumbarton Chamber of Commerce Overcrowding plagues most tourist programmes. Community-led land CEO recently calls the proposal an hotspots, including Loch Lomond, and acquisition should be supported, in ‘appropriate development’, inviting threatens the careful management of the various words of the programme a holiday park to give visitors ‘more the National Park to support a whole captured in its statements: ‘Harness the reasons to come, stay longer, spend range of animal species, flora and fauna. more’. energy of communities to ensure they The message is clear – take care of our are a core part of how we do economic To subordinate environmental interests natural world and ‘no’ to Flamingo Land. development in Scotland’; ‘Critical value in concern for profit contradicts the Annie Morgan is a climate activist with of community power and local economic biodiversity ‘intent’. Agri-tourism, energy’ and ‘Democratic decision and sustainable tourism encourages ScotE3 and a member of the Unite union deficit that afflicts so many of our movement, public transport use, rover retired section 7 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 End the overcharging for Scottish renewable energy Gordon Morgan exposes the crazy circumstances in which green energy is unnecessarily made more expensive ar from encouraging renewable the four tariffs including the wider Government to ensure Net Zero carbon energy in Scotland, Office of Gas geographical tariff which splits the UK emissions are reached. According to Fand Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and into 14 regions (excluding Northern the UK Government’s Net Zero white which supports the Gas and Electricity Ireland). It is this that specifies the paper published last year, the issue of Markets Authority, actively discourages cost difference between the north of transmission charges was supposed to any new generation in Scotland. Scotland and the south east of England. be issued for consultation. Yet Ofgem Moreover, it is consulting on increasing The situation is even worse for island has done nothing so far. This has the amount of electricity imported communities which could easily build subsequently been raised by Scottish from Europe rather than from Scotland. wind farms but are prevented by high Wind, and MPs in the Commons, These facts are highlighted in a February connection charges even although all with the UK Government as an issue 2021 report from Scottish and Southern the power is used on the island. preventing the auction of the new Energy Networks (SSEN) Transmission The system may once have made sense. round of offshore wind permits – which and a May 2021 Renewables UK report It was designed to discourage new is due soon - as well as the projected (see links at end). Electricity generators generation in unsuitable locations, e.g., next round of Contracts for Difference are charged for connecting to the new coal or gas power stations. This auctions – which are due in December. grid and separately for distribution works in a situation where most of the It seems likely that charges will continue to customers. There are four tariffs, energy cost was the cost of fossil fuels: for this year and that any consultation the most significant being the wider coal, oil and gas. It makes no sense to will be designed to conclude before the geographical tariff. continue these charges year-after-year end of this calendar year. The SSEN report states that under the for free energy produced by wind or As the total cost of the transmission wider geographical tariff, an offshore solar where the only significant cost system is set to fall marginally per wind farm such as Beatrice off Aberdeen apart from the construction of the MWH as its capacity triples, it makes is charged £11.5m pa (£4.50/Megawatt wind or solar farm itself is the up- far more sense to charge businesses hour (MWH)) to connect to the grid, front cost of cables to the grid, being and consumers on their electricity whereas a similar sized wind farm off an initial connection cost. Moreover, bills rather than the generators for London, Greater Gabbard, receives one of the major disincentives to providing the transmission cost of this £2.1m pa (-£1.09/MWH) for a similar ‘repowering’, i.e., replacing old turbines power. Consumers and most businesses connection. Taking all the tariffs into with larger new ones, will be these already have this in their bills as account, ‘North Scotland’ is charged ongoing charges. These wind farms charges to generators are passed on to £7.34/MWH and ‘South England’ around are already connected to the grid, so the electricity companies who in turn £0.40/MWH. This situation is forecast there is no additional cost to continuing charge customers. Overall, no additional to get worse and by 2025 the north of the connection. However, faced with net charge across the UK will result. Scotland could be charged £10/MWH the cost of replacement turbines Although there is a cap on end user and the south of England around £0.08/ combined with ongoing connection bills, on average bills are higher in rural MWH. charges often no ‘repowering’ takes ‘North Scotland’ communities. An initial place as it is uneconomic to do so. In a This can result in the costs of a connection charge could be made for situation where the UK needs to triple windfarm in Scotland and, hence, laying cables to new generators, but this its generation capacity, this makes no the price of its electricity being 15% would be predictable prior to starting sense and explicitly disadvantages new higher than an equivalent in England. the project. Clearly where projects have generators in Scotland and, indeed, Moreover, these charges vary year by commenced generation under Contracts industries attracted to the potentially year and are unpredictable more than for Difference which guarantee a fixed low cost of energy in Scotland. a year in advance. The result is that payment, the removal of connection prospective developers of wind farms All this puts the objective to make charges could result in super-profits so are discouraged from making what could Scotland the lead generator of green an adjustment to the guaranteed price be 10-year investments. electricity at risk. Given the price of could be made. recent auctions, large wind farms energy This is not a new situation. Since However, the principle that a consumer is expected to come in at £47/MWH and 2005, Scotland has been part of the or home in the south of England should may fall to £35/MWH later this year. single UK transmission network which pay the same per MWH as the north However, if £5.50 has to be added in costs around £2,400m pa to maintain, of Scotland is one that surely can be connection to the grid plus whatever including profits to the three energy instituted under a unified electricity is charged by Scottish Crown estates, networks (SSEN, Scottish Power Energy system or else the case for Scottish Scottish consumers could pay 20% more Networks and National Grid Energy Independence is inescapable. Resultant for electricity unless capped. Transmission). However, rather than increased bills in ‘South England’ could a single per megawatt charge per The underlying tariff system charges be phased in over a year. Given the customer across Britain, each generator are set by Ofgem which has so far overall cost of £2.4B any variation is is charged based a combination of been given no instruction by the UK likely to be less than £10 per year. 8 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Savings in Scotland could be much capacity of 6.1GW and cost of £6.1bn. farms. They may have helped meet a higher. The reduced costs to generators This would provide a total of 10.9GW need over the past years. However, and encouragement for renewables capacity through interconnectors. building 40GW offshore windfarms by would more than compensate. 2030 and the much greater capacity It is worth pointing out that the first set from other technologies to reach net A revision to the rules could be of connectors are being built by National zero requires no distractions and greater combined with an increase in the Grid Ventures, an unregulated part of investment in Scotland and the UK. Carbon Tax floor to around £50/CO2 the mega-profitable National Grid PLC ton as recommended recently by the which as well as running the electricity Reform of transmission charges to International Energy Agency and under network in England and Wales runs remove geographical charges and discussion at the International Monetary much of the US network as well. The cap provide certainty to developers and Fund (IMF). This would complete and floor regime guarantees the owner lower costs to Scottish consumers is a the divestment from coal, end coal of the interconnector will recover their must. We must continue to press the generation completely and ensure that costs and profit at an internal rate of UK Government to instruct Ofgem to gas and oil power stations are only used between 4.5% and 6.7%. adapt their cost allocation formula in extreme cases. Consumer gas prices (Transmission Network Use of System, Ofgem has been forced to concede could be fixed and increases phased in TNUoS) to ensure Net Zero. The that the economic case for new slowly in line with boiler replacements. principle that a consumer or home in interconnectors has been undermined, the south of England should pay the The aforementioned Renewables UK particularly for peak demand. Indeed, same per MWH as the north of Scotland report goes further in highlighting the it shows a total welfare loss of £682m must be included in the new formula. effect of interconnectors which transmit for the three proposed interconnectors This will provide equity in energy bills electricity from Europe to the UK and to France, Germany and Norway. The between consumers in England and occasionally the other way - to date 90% socio-economic models are based on Scotland where most generation will be is imported compared to 10% exported). a report by AFRY which concludes that located. It is projected that by 2030, 30% to over time the UK could export more 36% of electricity could come through energy than it imports, thus, damaging Gordon Morgan is a member of the interconnectors. However, European the domestic case for interconnectors Scottish Left Review editorial committee generators do not pay the same price by raising bills but making money for https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/ to connect to the grid. Indeed, in 20 National Grid PLC among others. media/5261/ssen-transmission-tnuos- countries generators are charged Despite this, the Ofgem consultations paper-february-2021.pdf nothing. The report calculates that on state: ‘We recognise that the allocation average European generators pay £0.46/ https://cdn.ymaws.com/www. of benefits from the modelling suggests MWH whereas generators in ‘North renewableuk.com/resource/ a negative impact on GB consumers Scotland’ pay 16 times as much: £7.36/ resmgr/210524_tnuos_paper_final_for. from a socio-economic standpoint, MWH. Thus, we are importing electricity pdf however we consider that the modelling from often coal fired generators or gas methodology and assumptions generators rather than from expanding underplay interconnectors’ clean Scottish generation. It also means socio-economic value. It is also electricity consumers in Scotland pay Scottish Left Review important to consider that in more to heat their home. The Scottish Left Review is a non-profit making publication. our modelled scenarios GB Please subscribe or make a donation by going to www. On the issue of interconnectors, Ofgem prices are materially lower scottishleftreview.org where you can pay by credit card seems to have dug their heels in. They than present day, so consumers or by filling in your details in the form below and returning seem determined to expand their use are already better off; the role to Scottish Left Review, 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX over the next 10 years. It argues that that interconnectors play in they have kept the lights on over the these scenarios is therefore Name last years and are cost effective. Ofgem different. The wider benefits has, however, had to try and justify this that we expect interconnectors Address into the future. To this end they set up to deliver in the future, as 4 workstreams to assess: 1) the cap and discussed in workstream 3 of floor system; 2) socio-economic models; the review, are not captured 3) wider issues of interconnectors; and in this socio-economic Tel: 4) multi-purpose interconnectors. The assessment’. This is sophistry first two of these have reported and the - it commissioned the AFRY E-mail: other are out for consultation, having report and then choose to been published 18 June and closing on ignore it. As many as possible Subscription/Donation 16 July. need to respond to these two consultations by 16 July. The review of cap and floor projects Date: 215 states that two new interconnectors To sum up, interconnectors Subscriptions: £18 (waged), £14 (unwaged), £24 (local are operational and another 2 under distract from developing organisations), £30 (national organisations). construction which will increase grid adequate generation capacity Donations will be gratefully recieved. Cheques should be capacity by 4.8 Gigawatts (GW) at a cost in the UK. They also divert cable crossed and made payable to: Left Review Scotland Ltd. of £4.1bn. Five further interconnectors laying boats which are in short You can also subscribe/donate online at www.scottishleftreview.org are under development with projected supply from connecting wind 9 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 What is the significance of Welsh Labour’s election success? Assessing and explaining Labour’s new high tide in Wales, Darren Williams points out the continuing challenges elsh Labour won an contrary to the poll predictions – social care workers and a programme impressive set of results which represents a welcome reversal of low-carbon house-building for Win the Senedd (Welsh of UKIP’s success in 2016. Welsh social rent), informed by the same Parliament) elections on 6 May, Labour also won three of the four progressive, egalitarian ethos as the securing exactly half of the Police and Crime Commissioner party’s governmental record to date. institution’s 60 seats - equalling the elections, the party’s best result since The slogan, ‘If you value it, vote for it’ party’s best previous performance – the posts were created. probably had some resonance in this and ensuring a further five years in respect. While hardly a mandate for Welsh Labour’s success, especially in government. Since the previous vote ‘socialism’ or ‘radicalism’, therefore, comparison to Labour’s dismal overall in 2016, the institution had changed the election result represents a showing in England, has occasioned its name from the National Assembly much comment – and much sufficient degree of popular consent for Wales and extended the franchise celebration within the Welsh party for continuation with the same to 16 and 17 year olds, as well as to and the wider Labour left. Its total of incrementally reforming programme. foreign nationals resident in Wales. 30 seats confounded expectations, The other card that the party seems Of course, that five-year period had exceeding the predictions of all but to have played to some effect was its also seen momentous changes like the one pre-election opinion poll. affirmation of its ‘Welsh’ credentials Brexit saga; the defeat of the Corbyn – reassuring voters of its patriotism project, two changes of Prime Minister By common consent, the greatly and political distinctness from the and the Coronavirus pandemic. It enhanced public profile of the First UK Labour leadership and, thereby, is remarkable, then, how stable Minister, Mark Drakeford due to Covid squeezing the Plaid vote. While Welsh Labour’s support has proven, and the widespread appreciation support for Welsh independence is its Senedd presence registering a for his reassuringly serious and at record levels, with membership net increase of one seat. of the cross-party/non- The party won almost party, Yes Cymru, movement 40% of the total vote rising from 2,000 to 17,000 for the 40 constituency in twelve months, this was seats and 36.2% in the not translated into electoral second, regional vote – in support for Plaid Cymru. Not both cases, a roughly 5% only is independence almost increase in its vote share as popular among Labour’s over 2016. voters as among Plaid’s The Tories were in second but attitudinal research by place with 16 seats (a net psephologists has revealed gain of five), overtaking that Mark Drakeford is Plaid Cymru, but taking very popular among Plaid only one seat directly supporters – perhaps from Labour. They failed, understandably, when it has however, to repeat their success in responsible approach to the pandemic fallen to him to defend the interests the 2019 general election, where - in contrast to Johnson’s criminal of Wales against the Westminster they took all but one of Labour’s irresponsibility - played a significant government, week in and week out – North Wales seats, plus Bridgend in part in Welsh Labour’s success. on a public platform furnished by the the south. Labour’s one constituency This probably complemented the pandemic. defeat was compensated by an longstanding general approval among We should be careful not to additional regional seat and the the party’s traditional base for its exaggerate the scale of Welsh Labour’s party also recaptured the Rhondda implementation of a recognisably victory, however. The net increase in from former Plaid leader, Leanne ‘Labour’ policy programme over the the party’s tally of seats won was only Wood, who had won it in 2016 - the last 22 years. one, giving it the same number of departure from the Senedd of Leanne, members elected as in 2003 and 2011; a fiercely principled socialist, is one of In the 2000s, Rhodri Morgan (with and while there is no question about the election’s negative outcomes. Mark Drakeford as his policy chief) famously pledged to put ‘clear red Labour’s right to govern, the Drakeford Although Plaid secured one more water’ between his administration and administration will still be dependent seat overall than five years before, the then Blair leadership in London to some degree on the support of its performance has been reckoned a and this was manifested in policies other parties. Labour’s vote-share disappointment, given the extravagant like the abolition of the NHS internal was higher than in 2016 but lower promises of major electoral gains market, the scrapping of prescription than in 2011 and 2003, on both of that have regularly come from Adam charges and maintenance of the which occasions it exceeded 40% of Price, who ousted Leanne as leader in comprehensive principle in secondary the constituency vote. The Tories also 2018. The LibDems narrowly avoided education. This year’s manifesto increased their vote-share and both a complete wipe-out, losing their one played to Welsh Labour’s strengths they and Plaid increased their Senedd constituency but gaining a regional in this respect, promising modest but presence. Furthermore, while the seat. The hard-right populist parties valuable gains for ordinary people turnout was the highest yet under also failed to win any seats – again, (such as the real living wage for devolution – albeit only marginally 10 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 above the 1999 figure – at 46.6% it in 2018 included a commitment is the practical point that any such still means that more than half of the to strengthen accountability and change would require an amendment electorate did not feel sufficiently empower members and in his first to the UK party rulebook, which it engaged to participate in the vote. few months there were a few positive is hard to imagine Keir Starmer and initiatives in this regard – most the current NEC majority agreeing to The relative position of the left in notably, the introduction of ‘one grant. Finally, and most importantly, the Senedd Labour Group has been member, one vote’ (OMOV) elections a clear-headed assessment needs strengthened slightly by the Senedd for the ‘Wales’ seat on the Labour to be made of the likely political election results, inasmuch as two of NEC, which had previously been in the consequences of the change. There is the three new Labour Members of Welsh leader’s gift. Other priorities simply no reason to believe that the the Senedd (MS) are members of the subsequently intervened, however, collective leadership tier of the Welsh left-wing activists’ network, Welsh and the snap general election in 2019 party – comprising the MPs, MSs, local Labour Grassroots, although neither disrupted the progress of the Welsh government leaders, union officials has a long history of involvement with Labour Democracy Review. This has and full-time party officers, as well as the organised left. But even with these now been re-launched, with a view the elected leadership – is any more two new members, the left (broadly to any changes being agreed at next progressive than its counterpart at defined) accounts for barely more March’s Welsh Labour conference. UK level. While Mark Drakeford might than a third of the thirty Labour MSs The left needs to push hard for be able to exercise some leftward and fewer than half of these could democratic reforms, including greater pressure as long as he remains leader, be considered as anything more than accountability in the make-up and that positive influence might well be ‘soft’ left in their politics. The right election of the Welsh Executive brought to an end and reversed in has pretty much the same strength, Committee; a more transparent policy- a couple of years depending on the leaving a centre-ground consisting of making process; and reduction of the outcome of the subsequent leadership those with less coherent views. The threshold for an open selection in election. influence of the Labour left in the trigger ballots for Senedd Members. Senedd, however, is at least stronger Nevertheless, the debate about the than in the Welsh PLP, where Beth A significant element of the Labour constitutional future of the party and Winter is its only standard-bearer, and manifesto was the commitment to the government will undoubtedly be in Welsh local government, where the push for constitutional reform across taken up by the Welsh Labour left, number of ‘left’ councillors in most the UK and greater devolved powers alongside the issues of pandemic Labour groups could be counted on for Wales. With the respected left- recovery and rebuilding the economy the fingers of one hand. winger and proponent of ‘radical on fairer and more sustainable federalism’, Mick Antoniw now in foundations, over the months and Most of the Senedd Labour left are in the Cabinet to drive this agenda, years ahead. their 60s and 70s and the majority can there is a much greater chance that Darren Williams is the Secretary of probably be expected to step down at Welsh Labour will finally conduct the the next election in 2026, representing Welsh Labour Grassroots and co- meaningful debate within the party author of ‘Clear Red Water: Welsh a significant cumulative loss of and Welsh society that it should have knowledge and experience, albeit Devolution and Socialist Politics’ led years ago. Alongside this, there is (Francis Boutle Publishers, 2009). also an opportunity to bring forward growing support among well-placed a new generation of radical political left-leaning elements within the leaders - if the left can successfully Welsh party for a push to devolve mobilise for this. Even before that, we responsibility for the party rulebook will have to address the leadership from the UK to the Welsh level. succession to Mark Drakeford, who The arguments for this include the has consistently said that he intends principle that, if we are to push for to step down part-way through the deeper devolution within the state, current Senedd term, allowing his then we should do the same within Cover: Nadia Lucchesi successor a reasonable ‘run-up’ to the the party; and the suggestion that 2026 elections. While we cannot, of devolution of disciplinary procedures ([email protected]) course, be sure who the candidates would result in fairer outcomes. Proofing services: will be, it is widely assumed that the These arguments are likely to find a Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, sympathetic hearing among at least John Wood and John Daly Education Minister, Jeremy Miles, and a section of the Labour left, at a time Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, will when a growing proportion of party Editor Email: Gregor Gall stand – the first two of these being members are at least ‘indy-curious’ [email protected] clearly on the right and the third in and when the Welsh leadership is the centre. The left does not have a to the left of the UK leadership - Web: www.scottishleftreview.scot huge choice of potential champions, conversely, there was little appetite Tel: 0141 424 0042 not least because of the age profile of on the left for intra-party devolution its members, and might end up having when Jeremy Corbyn was UK leader Address: Scottish Left Review, to give critical support to a candidate and Carwyn Jones Welsh leader. seen as the lesser, or least, evil. 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow There are some caveats to bear in G2 6RX In the meantime, the election result mind, however. There is, first of all, a represents an enhancement of question as to whether it would make Mark Drakeford’s personal political sense for the rules governing members Printed by authority within the Labour Party in Wales on non-Welsh-specific issues Hampden Advertising Ltd, and he could make use of this to to be different from those applying 403 Hillington Road, G52 4BL, back a renewed effort to improve in England, if Welsh Labour was party democracy. Mark’s election anything short of a legally distinct Tel: 0141 429 1010 platform as a leadership candidate and autonomous party. Then there 11 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 From Glasgow Girls to Kenmure Street – 16 years on, the fight for humane immigration continues Roza Salih calls for rebellion against Westminster’s inhumanity and the creation of a Scottish system t has been 16 years since I first gained Eid were being held. The ‘star of the them from the communities they live notoriety as a teenager with the show’ was the brave man who managed in. Let’s not forget the amount of time IGlasgow Girls, but all these years later, to block the van with his bicycle and that asylum seekers must wait for a Britain still has an immigration system get underneath – risking his own life for decision or just to be interviewed about deprived of heart and lacking even basic others. their claim. Their lives in limbo for years. humanity. At just 15, my fellow teenage The energy was high, and so many The system is intended to be a deterrent campaigners and I saw first-hand the people chanted, ‘Roza, do your chant!’ to be used as anti-immigration callus UK Border Force in action as they propaganda to play to the right of the attempted to deport our school friend Someone passed me the megaphone Tory party. Since Theresa May’s ‘hostile in a dawn raid in 2005. Our actions – I chanted, ‘Refugees are welcome environment’, asylum seekers have been shone a light on the horrendous way the here!’, ‘Power to the people because seen as data, and their stories of war, immigration system treated those who the people have the power’. Hours later, torture and famine disregarded. Home seek safety or a new life in Britain, and Police Scotland intervened and made Office policy fails to recognise that on that day, we won the battle, but my sure that the two detained men were released back into their community. The asylum seeker and immigrants are some campaign for a fair immigration system of the most vulnerable groups in society. went on. feeling of euphoria was palpable in the street. This leads me to only one conclusion: Fast forward over a decade and it is Scotland must have the powers to create heart-breaking for me to know that an immigration system that reflects any progress my friends and I made our values here – dignity for everyone has been systematically torn up should be at the centre of all our by a right-wing Tory Government’s decision making. Caseworkers should anti-immigration rhetoric, its hostile meet the asylum claimants they work immigration environment policy, and with; there should be no raids and no a Brexit created out of false narratives detention centres. about immigrants coming to Britain. A Scottish immigration system needs a However, even in this darkness that more humanistic approach that could brings so much misery to so many, there celebrate the enormous contribution can be a bright spark that helps reignite asylum seekers, and immigrants make the fires for change. What happened to our country. Other nations in the in Kenmure Street on 13 May 2021, for world could look to Scotland as a model. me, brought chills and gladdened my Scotland has already led the way, heart. The similarities between what Like in 2005, I was part of a group giving asylum seekers access to higher has locally been known as the ‘Kenmure that had again won the battle and like education through scholarships. And, Street Rebellion’ and the Glasgow Girls then the campaign for change must in Scotland, we are the only nation of are striking – a dawn raid which saw the go on. People have been inspired to the UK that gives asylum seekers the community come together in solidarity join their local refugee support charity right to vote in devolved and council to tell the Border Force ‘not in our or campaign group, and if you see elections. That is why we must as a name’. Immigration Enforcement vans on your nation take the opportunity to secure At the time of the Kenmure dawn raid, I street, please don’t just walk by. You can our independence, so we have the was working from home but knew I had take a photo and tweet it to the Anti- powers to lead the way with a humane to join my fellow campaigners on the raids network and the No Evictions immigration system here in Scotland. streets and use my profile as a rallying campaign. These actions show asylum Until then, we all must stand against call. I was only too aware of how small seekers and immigrants that they are the hostile environment approach to actions can have such a positive change valued and are welcomed here. immigration and asylum. for good. Turning up at the protests, I While powers remain with Westminster, Roza Salih is a Kurdish-born human was overwhelmed by the community it will always be a challenging system rights activist based in Glasgow. At and campaigner’s response – led by for migrants because of the deliberate the age of 15, she co-founded the the No Eviction Network and other adversities built into the system, ranging Glasgow Girls with fellow pupils from campaign groups. from education barriers to eviction Drumchapel high school, and prevented The streets were full of people and lock changes, destitution, and no the deportation of their friend. surrounding a sole Home Office van, recourse to public funds. Asylum seekers where the two men who had so coldly are not allowed to provide for their been dragged from their homes during families – which isolate and separate 12 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Human dignity and honour: Remembering the Warsaw Ghetto Henry Maitles recalls the armed battle to save the last of Warsaw’s Jewry against the Nazis n May 1943, one of the most The first victims of the uprising were world came. Indeed, the uprising is the inspiring events of WWII took the Jewish police and Judenrat, who it last great moment of what some have Iplace. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising was argued, collaborated with the Nazis called ‘revolutionary Yiddishland’. stood no chance of success but was a rounding up Jews. Most of the Judenrat ZOB was completely outnumbered moral crusade. As the Jewish Fighting went to their deaths, but there was and outgunned as they only had a few Organisation (in Polish, ZOB) announced: also outright collaboration from some rifles and pistols, smuggled into the ‘All of us will probably perish in the fight Jewish leaders like Chaim Rumkowski of ghetto, and some homemade weapons. … it is a fight for our human dignity and Lodz ghetto or Rudolf Kastner, President The German army, with thousands of of the Budapest Judenrat, who was honour, as well as yours’. troops, machine guns, tanks and some accused in 1953 at his trial in Israel In November 1940, the Nazi occupation air support, was taken by surprise and of negotiating with Nazi chief, Adolf in Poland moved to its ghetto stage, and startled on the first day and withdrew, Eichmann. But most Judenrat were the area for Jews, the Warsaw Ghetto, with dozens of casualties and a damaged was created and walled in. All Warsaw’s tank. It was the start of something of Jews were moved in. Initially, nearly great meaning for all observers of the 300,000 Jews, one-third of Warsaw’s events. population, were forced into 2.5% of In May 1943, Joseph Goebbels, Nazi its space. Massive overcrowding and propaganda chief, fumes in his diary drastic shortage of food, sanitation about Jews fighting back and with and medicines meant a high death captured German weapons. What rate from disease and malnutrition. As makes it even more important was that today, there was much talk of ‘we’re all Nazi theory held that Jews – men and in it together’ and, unlike today, there women fighters – could not fight back was some truth in it. Yet Emmanuel like this, that they were incapable of Ringelblum, who kept a diary in the any, let alone armed, resistance, as they ghetto, noted whilst people dying of were subhuman. At the end of May, the starvation in the streets, smugglers and Nazis decided that they could not defeat black marketeers and those with money the uprising without larger loss of life could get fine wine and food in the cafes and decided to burn the ghetto to the reserved and protected for them. In ground. Some survivors fled through the the ghetto, whilst life was tough for all, sewers; most were captured and killed. for the poor it was catastrophic. Class existed even in this situation. The ghetto fighters left a universal message of humanism and hope in the Nonetheless, Jews were not dying fast face of barbarism. It was an inspiration aiming to save Jews where possible enough so the Nazis began clearing understood by some of the leaders of but saw passivity and compromise as the residents to Auschwitz from 1942 the Polish resistance, one of whom onwards. By early 1943, there were the way to do this. Edelman is scathing commented that ‘the blood of the only 60,000 left – some 200,000 had about the suicide of the Warsaw ghetto fighters was not shed in vain … already died in the ghetto or been Judenrat leader, Adam Czerniakow, it gave birth to an intensified struggle transported to the camps. A mixture of accusing him of taking the easy way out against the fascist invader’. ZOB issued disbelief about the death camps, stories instead of leading a fight against the their ‘Manifesto to the Poles’, one of the of Auschwitz being a work camp with Nazis. greatest socialist appeals, proclaiming best accommodation reserved for those When the Nazis surrounded the ghetto the uprising as not exclusively a Jewish who turned up first – a lie not countered in spring 1943 for the final round up, fight, but a much wider Polish and by the Judenrat (the Nazi appointed ZOB resisted by force. ZOB was a mix of universal struggle against fascism. We Jewish Council) who knew it to be Zionist and socialist organisations, with need to take this message to our hearts untrue - allied to starvation meant that big differences in politics - their point as we confront racism and fascism the promise of bread led to more Jews of unity being that all Jews, regardless wherever and whenever. turning up at Warsaw railway station for of their political outlook, would end in Henry Maitles is an Emeritus Professor transportation to Auschwitz on some Auschwitz. Their differences would need of Education at the University of days than the Germans could deal with. to be debated in the arena of action the West of Scotland and an SWP Marek Edelman, a ZOB leader, said: ‘Do against the Nazis. The largest group in member. Marek Edelman’s book, you have any idea what bread meant at ZOB was the Bund (Revolutionary Jewish ‘The Ghetto Fights: Warsaw 1941- that time in the ghetto? If you don’t, you League of Lithuania, Poland and Russia), 43’, is available from https:// will never understand how thousands formed in the area known as Yiddishland, bookmarksbookshop.co.uk/view/33730/ of people could voluntarily go with this from where many of the leaders and The+Ghetto+Fights+Warsaw+1941-43 bread to the camp at Treblinka’. members of left-wing parties across the 13 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 After George Square’s dangerous disorder: Rangers supporters and anti- Catholicism in Scotland Pat Kelly analyses the roots of the bigotry and sets out what now must be done to rid us of it here was nothing new about his wife who forced him to look at his over the city in defiance of Government Rangers fans engaging in behavior and he was embarrassed about Covid restrictions. That is a fairly sizable Thooliganism, thuggery and violence the type of person he had become. proportion of their active support. after they had been presented with the A decade later, despite a number of The far right, ultra-unionist, bigoted Scottish League trophy in May. And there Catholic players joining the club, Walter element of the Rangers’ support was nothing new about the same fans Smith, who took over from Souness is a problem not just for Scottish engaging in anti-Catholic abuse, not just as manager told Graham Spiers of the football. Similar groups attacked the in George Square but at targeted Catholic Herald, ‘there is a Protestant superiority independence supporters in George syndrome around here, you can feel it’. Churches. It has happened with a weary Square in 2014, and were in evidence regularity and they have largely escaped Politically, Rangers’ fan base ranges as ‘The Loyalist Defence League’ in anything other than token censure. across the spectrum. In the past, George Square in 2020, ‘protecting’ Politicians and journalists would usually Communist union leaders and Labour the war memorial and other statues. condemn the violence and sectarianism, MPs could be counted amongst the There have been calls for the football only to add some false equivalence of core support, as could an abundance authorities to apply sanctions in a similar Celtic supporters singing republican of Tories. There are Rangers fans who way to UEFA. This might work within songs or deflecting the conversation to support independence but they are likely the stadiums but away from football, the existence of Catholic schools as the to be, proportionately, a lot less than the anti-Catholic prejudice is all too evident root of the problem. national average. They are certainly not in Scottish society. Now that the Scottish However, what was new after the George as vociferous as the ultra-unionists, many Government has called out the problem, Square event was the Government’s of whom are members of the Orange action has to be taken by the police and unequivocal condemnation, not just of Order, an organisation that can mobilise the judiciary. the violence and vandalism but the anti- large groups through formal and informal Writing in the Times, Kenny Farquarson Catholic nature of much of the behavior. networks. The club’s new head of public pointed out that when London police Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney and relations, David Graham, who left his received reports of anti-Semitic slogans Humza Yusef all denounced the vile anti- position as a Democratic Unionist Party allegedly being shouted from a convoy of Catholic prejudice and bigotry and the (DUP) councilor on Belfast City Council to cars flying Palestinian flags, Metropolitan police joined in to attack the anti-Catholic take up the job, is a ‘worshipful master’ police launched a city-wide hunt. Within and anti-Irish behavior of the supporters. of the Orange Order. hours a number of arrests had been Journalists had sometimes tried to tackle And there are the far-right descendants made, four men being charged with the problem in the past, but the George of the Billy Boys, the notorious street racially aggravated public order offences. Square events gave them an opportunity gang of the 1920s and 1930s who These offences were mild by comparison to write columns about Scotland’s were used by fascists to break up to what happened in Glasgow, but, so far, problem of anti-Catholic prejudice unemployment marches and events we have not seen the same response. without having to look to the other side organised the left. Their leader, Billy There are enough laws to tackle the of Glasgow to ‘balance’ their reports. Fullerton, was a member of the British issue but there has to be a willingness Rangers once represented the dominant Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley, to implement them. The government tradition of Scotland, and were seen as and set up a Scottish chapter of the should now instruct the police authorities the football club of the establishment. Ku Klux Klan. The song about the Billy that anti-Catholic prejudice should be Its fans were mostly white, Protestant, Boys continues as one of the Rangers given top priority and there should be and working class and the club boasted anthems and has provoked UEFA, an expectation that the judiciary would of never signing Catholic players. When European Football’s governing body, follow convictions with the stiffest Graeme Souness took over as manager in to close sections of their stadium for possible sentences. The time for anti- 1986, he insisted on changing that policy, European matches for its line about sectarian summits and well-meaning but the distinctive Protestant culture of being ‘up to the knees in Fenian initiatives has past. The disgraceful the club remained and with it the anti- blood’. It is perhaps this faction David events in George Square have shifted the Catholic atmosphere. Terry Butcher, one Graham had in mind when his press debate about religious bigotry and the of a number of Englishmen who played release, in the wake of the George deeply embedded anti-Catholic stain in for the club in those years, described Square rampage, stated that a ‘small Scotland. how he got sucked into the ‘religious minority ... besmirched the good name Pat Kelly is a former Scottish Secretary of stuff.’ Although he was not religious, he of Rangers Football Club’. Of course, it the PCS union and is convenor of editorial found himself singing anti-Catholic and was a minority of the massive Rangers board of the Scottish Left Review. anti-Irish songs at supporters’ functions, fan base but 15,000 fans, nonetheless, and referring to people in derogatory marched from Ibrox to George Square sectarian ways. He admitted it was with the expressed intention of taking 14 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Scotland’s drug problem: tackling the symptoms never tackles the causes Calum Rosie argues that only deep-seated, radical action can address this scourge in our society t has recently been announced that full to bursting. There just aren’t enough and mental illness go very much hand in Scotland is, yet again, the ‘drug death resources, bodies, or funding to fully glove, which means that poverty is very Icapital’ of the world, with over double address the mental health crisis that likely an early step on the road towards the number of drug-related deaths than our country is facing. Step one would, addiction. Scotland’s drug problems any other European country. This is a therefore, be to fully fund this section of really took off in the 1980s, which also damning statistic, but for anyone living our society. saw widespread poverty and inequality, in Scotland, it is not a surprising one. and until Scotland can address the One way to do this is to address how Hard drugs have been a part of Scottish cancer of poverty, we will continue to healthcare is funded in Scotland, and life for decades now, and the associated see thousands of Scottish people die at where responsibility for it lies. Currently, death count has been rising year after the hands of drug addiction. each council area is liable for its own year. It is an undeniable healthcare and healthcare – which means that the Luckily, there are plenty of ways to human rights scandal that continues Scottish Government does not have to tackle poverty, if only government to be ignored by the government and take effective responsibility for the high would take the first steps – which, underreported by the media, with too number of drug deaths. This needs to interestingly, it already has during the many causes and too few solutions. change. Scotland must treat this as the lockdown. Introduction of a government Of these solutions, many are national emergency that it is, and make subsidised wage has given security implemented by private citizens and sure that funds and resources to tackle to millions of people, while the UK charities without the support of the the problem are made available in every government provided housing for government or the Scottish legal system. area they are needed and as soon as thousands of unhoused people across Activist, Peter Krykant, was charged possible. the country, albeit briefly. An extension with obstruction after refusing to allow of this post-pandemic would be the police access to his mobile overdose introduction of a universal basic wage prevention centre, where addicts can and investing heavily in social housing, use sterilised equipment safely with providing a secure social safety net to trained staff on hand in the event of help assuage some of the most common an overdose. This is just one example causes of depression and anxiety of how the Scottish Government is among our nation’s most vulnerable. currently standing in the way of progress While universal basic income is an idea – if we treat those attempting to that has floating around the Scottish reduce the death rate in our country as Parliament recently, the government criminals, how can we hope to address has recently announced a cut to housing the problem fully? Similarly, many voices spending, which will only increase the – like the SNP conference in 2019 - are pressure on our society’s poorest, with calling for the decriminalising of drug widespread adverse effects on mental use, which would allow us to treat and physical health. drug addicts as patients rather than as So, while the Scottish Government’s criminals. £250m commitment to tackle the drug But these proposals, admirable problem may seem like a good start, all and deserving of support as they of this money is going towards treating are, merely treat the symptoms of Beyond this, we need to address what the symptoms of drug addiction, and addiction and drug deaths, and do not is causing the mental health problems not the cause. Systematic change needs address the root of the issue: mental in our society, and why it seems to to occur to address the economic needs health. So often, drugs are used as be particularly bad in Scotland. One of the Scottish people, to bring our self-administered medication to deal undeniable exacerbation of the problem nation’s poorest out of poverty, and give with mental illness caused by present comes from the fact that the shame them help above and beyond the bare stresses and past traumas, and the surrounding addiction is palpable in minimum. Because if we don’t, Scottish Scottish and UK-wide governments have Scotland. The term, ‘junkie’, is tossed citizens will continue to die in their repeatedly shown little desire to support around with abandon, and people thousands, something that will weigh meaningful mental health reform. who use drugs are looked down upon heavy on the conscience of the nation. as worthless members of society. By So, what needs to be done? If you Calum Rosie is a writer based in educating the rest of the country in drug ask anyone who works in social care Edinburgh, and correspondent for addiction and drug use, this stigma can or the mental health (or healthcare Immigration Advice Service (https:// be reduced, and we as a society will not at large), they’ll tell you the same iasservices.org.uk/). be contributing to the worsening of this thing: that while our social care sector health crisis. is staffed by incredibly selfless and hardworking people, the system itself is What’s more, studies show that poverty 15 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 To jab or not to jab: skewed Covid vaccination priorities and problems Andrew Watterson asks who judged who to jab and why in Scotland, and with what effect accination policies to protect at large, public health and worker available in a country, then health various groups in the population health. There has also been a global workers at high or very high risk would Vin Scotland - including its consensus since late 2020 about the be vaccinated; if 11% to 20% vaccine workforce from Covid and its variants - medical, public health and ethical need availability applied, vaccinators, high have raised many questions over the last to prioritise vaccination for older age priority teachers and school staff twelve months. These involve medical, groups and those in poorest health would also be vaccinated; if 21%-50% scientific, public health, political and in the first instance. Vaccine supply vaccine availability existed, then the legal considerations, vaccine budgets sometimes initially meant only these following would be vaccinated: low to and supply, ethics as well as what is groups could be vaccinated in the UK. moderate risk health workers, vaccine practical and effective. Global issues too However, later priority occupational producers, high-risk lab staff, other may impact directly on public health and groups varied a good deal from country essential workers like police officers, workers in Scotland. The World Health to country and diverged from WHO municipal services, child-care providers, Organisation (WHO) mantra of ‘no one guidelines. Surprisingly, JCVI dithered agriculture and food workers, miners is safe from Covid until everyone is safe at an early stage about the need even and food processors, transportation (with vaccinations)’ remains as true in to vaccinate some key health workers workers, and government workers late 2021 as it did before. Scotland does and decided against vaccinations for essential to critical functioning of the not fully control its own borders and other groups of workers by using much state not covered by other categories. cannot currently prevent travel into it narrower criteria than the WHO and The UK had vaccines available for these from countries and areas where new other European countries. groups at a relatively early stage but Covid variants continue to emerge. The neither England nor Scotland chose to Across the UK and within Scotland, border problems present pressing needs vaccinate school staff, food workers, there has been a perceived lack of to offer new or reformulated vaccines transport workers, construction workers transparency about the evidence base to continue to protect the population in and police officers despite calls by used for Covid decision-making and a Scotland. unions and a number of medical and lack of communication with workers public health researchers to do so. This article explores what Covid and their organisations. Trust in UK vaccination priority policies should Government Covid policies including In France, by November 2020, the public be for workers in Scotland and the vaccination prioritisation has frequently health, economic and social importance communities in which they live. It been lacking. It seems occupational of ensuring early vaccination for a challenges the view that there are health and safety and the related wider group of employees was widely substantial limits on many actions public health consequences for some recognised based on workers’ significant the Scottish Government could take workers being given low vaccination public contact. These occupations to protect those workers and their priority were downplayed and equity covered shops, transport, and schools communities. It also challenges the was ignored. The position in the WHO, (teachers and other school workers). view Scotland has always been wise Germany, France and even some US It further included priority for workers to accept the blanket advice of the states and federal agencies in 2020 has in confined spaces, meat processing UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination differed from Scotland’s position at workers, construction workers, and and Immunisation (JCVI) and that times. This is, perhaps, further evidence migrant workers. The second phase such advice reflected an international of a general UK neglect of occupational added firefighters and police to the consensus on vaccine prioritisation health and safety monitoring, priority list. because it did not. The Westminster inspection, and regulation during and Several US states approved school staff Government is legally obliged to follow before the pandemic that extended to vaccination long before most teachers JCVI recommendations for England but Scotland where large clusters of early in Scotland would have been covered the Scottish Government is not. The occupational Covid cases occurred in, by the roll out of vaccines on the Scottish Government paradoxically for example, food production and office basis of age. In contrast, the Scottish produced a very detailed prioritisation workers. Government vaccination policy showed matrix for a whole range of key worker WHO vaccination priorities focussed a frequent lack of concern about groups to be tested for Covid in May on workers in its guidelines depending inequalities in health, and protection 2020 that has been regularly updated on vaccine supply and aimed at of what the WHO regarded as ‘key’ yet still simply repeated JCVI advice on reducing death and disease burdens workers and vulnerable groups. In vaccine prioritisation with blunt tool and social and economic disruption Scotland, groups of care workers in of age used to argue all workers will while protecting essential services community settings and at high risk eventually be vaccinated anyway. and maintaining national equity. WHO did not receive early vaccines. At risk Many arguments were put in the Lancet advised the following when supplies of construction workers have not been and British Medical Journal in 2020 nationally available Covid-19 vaccines vaccinated. Schools were re-opened for a re-ordering of UK and Scottish were limited for the general population: during the pandemic but younger vaccination priorities to protect society If only 1% to 10% of vaccines were school staff were denied vaccines. Some 16 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Scottish emergency services at the Finally, questions will need to be asked Useful references beginning were denied vaccines. Shop by unions about who owns, controls, keepers running essential community invests in, markets, and profits from Connexion ‘France sets out future services were denied vaccines. Covid and other related vaccines. Covid-19 vaccine priority plan’, Unions would be expected to challenge 27 November 2020 https://www. Following the second wave, it has looked excessive profiteering and government connexionfrance.com/French-news/ like younger workers in pubs, clubs and handouts to pharmaceutical companies. France-sets-out-future-Covid catering establishments who may not Hence, vaccine development, supply, yet have been vaccinated would be at Hassan-Smith, Z., Hanif, W. and and availability locks into other greater risk. This was at a time when Khunti, K. ‘Who should be prioritised important debates now well underway there was more evidence about the for COVID-19 vaccines?’ Lancet 396 in Scotland. These include ones about likelihood of precarious and vulnerable Issue 10264: 1732-1733. 28 November just transition, ‘socially useful work’, workers in deprived communities 2020. fair work, employer and governmental suffering significant long Covid effects. accountability and good health and Committee on Vaccination and Serious fault lines in UK and Scottish- safety at work that should benefits Immunisation ‘Independent report: specific health and workplace policy employees and their communities. interim advice on priority groups making and evidence gathering were for COVID-19 vaccination’ 18 exposed. Vaccination, of course, in itself At last, there is growing recognition June 2020. https://www.gov.uk/ will not end the pandemic but it has of the threat zoonotic diseases such government/publications/priority- an important role to play along with as Covid now present to global public groups-for-coronavir... other upstream zero Covid strategies to health, and may do so at any time. National Academies of Sciences, supress the pandemic. The principles and practices of vaccine Engineering and Medicine, USA ‘A policy raised by Covid, therefore, need Framework for Equitable Allocation Dilemmas exist for unions too. Unions to be, if not resolved, at least more fully of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus’ argued for collective action to press addressed in the future to protect public October 2020, https://www. government, employers, and regulators health including all employees but nationalacademies.org/our-work/a- to raise and apply the best possible especially precarious and economically- framework-for-equitable-all... Covid health and safety standards disadvantaged workers. The UK JCVI and available. Many unions like UNITE the UK Group of Chief Medical Officers Roope, L., Clarke, P., and Duch, R. pressed for vaccines to be made should not be the supreme arbiters in ‘Who should get the coronavirus available as a matter of priority to the future for pandemic vaccination vaccine first? France and the UK have essential and key workers exposed policies. The Scottish Government different answers’, 16 November 2020 to Covid in the workplace and more has almost formulaically followed the https://theconversation.com/who- widely to all workers. Unions argued for lead of UK decision-makers on some should-get-the-coronavirus-vaccine- greater efforts to reach those workers issues in ways that have had serious first... and communities that had either consequences especially during the Scottish Government ‘COVID been effectively neglected by vaccine early stages of the Covid pandemic. programmes, marginalised in siting Vaccine delivery: Health Secretary’s of vaccine centres or were fearful for Future transparency, communication statement’, 19 November 2020 https://www.gov.scot/publications/ good historical reasons of past vaccine and engagement by the Scottish Covid-vaccine-delivery-statement- policies. Assuming vaccine delivery and Government need to reflect best healt.. vaccine hesitancy problems have been international practice in the future addressed sensitively, unions are now on vaccine prioritisation for workers, Watterson, A. ‘Covid-19 vaccine faced with new problems. In the form of drawing - if necessary - upon WHO prioritisation in the UK and workers workers choosing to refuse vaccination. guidelines. This would reflect the beyond health and social care who Employers may well decide that if such important principles already embedded may go missing’, 2020 https://www. workers refuse vaccination and cannot with the Fair Work Convention bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4598/ be redeployed to other work, then established by Scottish Government. rapid-responses dismissal will result. This is a matter for It would further recognise the fact that although occupational health and Weaver, M. and Siddique, H. ‘Unions employment tribunals and the courts call for frontline UK workers to to resolve. If employers do not move safety is reserved to Westminster, the pandemic has opened up the topic be prioritised for Covid vaccine’, or dismiss ‘refusers’, will unions then Guardian 20 November 2020. argue on health and safety grounds that and provided the Scottish Government refusers put other employees and the with the means to act on worker health WHO ‘SAGE values framework for public at risk and so will not work with and safety for public health reasons. the allocation and prioritization of Establishing better practice on worker them? Additionally, if ‘equitable’ vaccine COVID-19 vaccination’, 14 September vaccination during this and future passports are introduced, will unions 2020 https://apps.who.int/iris/ pandemics is, therefore, not only argue that those who choose not to get bitstream/handle/10665/334299/ possible but vital and necessary. vaccinations and hence lack passports, WHO-2019-nCoV-SA... as distinct from those unable to get Andrew Watterson is Professor of Health vaccinations who lack such passports, in the Occupational and Environmental should not be admitted to clubs, Health and Public Health and Population pubs, shops etc where they may put Health research groups at the University employees at risk of contracting Covid? of Stirling. 17 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Growing jaggier shoots from the briar’s roots: The UCS work-in at 50 and beyond David Betteridge recalls how men and women were made on the Clyde into fighting fortresses here did the statesmen who made up the 8,000+ workforce of rights ... and just about everything else and women of the yards the work-in, and the many more who you could think of ... come from? Where did they made up their legions of allies, and W Naming these names is important - acquire the necessary skills, values and also those activists who came after and there are screeds of other names knowledge? These are questions worth them. For this piece, I consulted some deserving of recognition, Sammy Barr, finding answers to, and adapting to our of them, starting with Bob Starrett, for instance, and George Kerr, and Davie own times, because these were the Jimmy Cloughley, Andy Sanders, Danny Cooper, and Sammy Gilmore, stewards statesmen and women that so powerfully McCafferty and Jimmy McGeachy. They eloquent in furthering the work-in made the case for the work-in that saved gave me a treasury of insights and through its ups and downs - because them, so persuasively inspired a world- memories, sufficient for a book. Here doing so reminds us of the hydra-headed wide network of working class and union is a small sample of what they told nature of any cultural formation, and its support, and so courageously pursued me in answer to my inquiry about the reliance on complex networks of learning their struggle through to victory. sources of their own skills and values and and influence. knowledge: Partly, they acquired their skills, But now? Here we are, in 2021, with a values and knowledge from their My political education came from likes right-wing coup under way and us giving total immersion in the yards, and in of Finlay Hart, Jock Smith, Alec Annan, too little resistance to it. How can we the unions, and in their working-class Johnny Gill, John Tonner, Mary McGuire, recover the fighting spirit of the work- hinterland and history. Yet immersion is Betty McGeachy, May Halfpenny and in of half a century ago? Maybe, if a not sufficient. Lessons learned informally many other Bankies ... too many to composite Ghost of Actions Past might must be firmed up, and tempered into mention … [We learned] sometimes speak, it might say: weapons of thought and structures of through practice ... other elements feeling that can withstand prolonged through theory... Do not under-estimate the enemy, battering. It was often through their who has out-classed us down the ages, The shipyards were in that period places membership of the Communist Party maintaining its property rights and its where there were men knowledgeable in and involvement in its educational and rule over us; but do not over-estimate it, most things ... cultural activities over many years that either. a critical mass of workers achieved this My dad was Literature Secretary for the Build and rebuild and extend - like a firming and this tempering. It was a long Babcock branch of the party. My mother spider working on its web - both union labour. still has a trunk of books in the attic of old and party, and community and nation, Left Book Club stuff dating back to then ... There is a portrait of Jimmy Reid, throwing multiple cross-links to others. th commissioned by his daughter for his 75 I heard Jimmy mention How the Steel was Get the boxes of books down from the birthday, that gives us a hint of the great Tempered by Nicolai Ostrovsky. A quote attic; re-read them, and then write your weight and variety of past influences from the novel was printed on the front of own; similarly with films, songs, and operating on one brain, and one heart. our YCL cards: ‘Man’s dearest possession art-works of all kinds, packing into them The artist, Barry Atherton, places his is life’... all you know plus all you imagine, thus subject at the centre of a storm of people I think we all read widely, especially creating a culture that makes sense of and books, all influential in shaping him, American literature - Steinbeck (Grapes your lives, and educates desire. some by example, others by just being of Wrath, In Dubious Battle etc) and Jack there as subjects for reflection. We Emulate the briar, digging down deep London, Mick McGahey’s favourite. Also, see Keir Hardie, John Maclean, Willie with your sustenance-seeking roots, Sinclair Lewis (Main Street, Babbitt). James Gallacher, Mary Barbour, Helen Crawfurd, and climb high towards future’s light, Barke’s Major Operation was also known, Stalin, Ramsay MacDonald, and Aneurin spiralling up and up, following a possibly the most political Scottish novel Bevan; we see comrades from the trajectory similar to Tatlin’s Tower, and apart from A Scot’s Quair ... work-in, and family members; we see similar to the briar’s, making sure that Adam Smith, Marx and David Hume; Mary McGuire encouraged the youth. She your older, stronger, jaggier shoots we see Robert Burns, his favourite poet; held YCL fund-raising socials in her own support the younger ones. and we see piles of books and cascades house, complete with home-made bar... Even in the present valley of the shadow, of leaflets, a small selection from the It all seems so long ago, probably prepare for government, and with it, library-loads that Reid mastered. He because it is! Funny to think what a good governance, too. believed and practised what Lenin was wonderful educational forum the YCL and vehement in urging, that we make the David Betteridge is the editor of a CP were: we had classes in economics, breadth and depth of existing knowledge compilation of poems, songs, prose politics, literature (Honor Arundel took our own, ‘from the bottom up’, and then memoirs, photographs and cartoons those), education (Brian Simon), public advance from there. celebrating the 1971-2 UCS work-in called speaking, and all the time out on the ‘A Rose Loupt Oot’ (Smokestack Books, A portrait similar to that of Atherton’s streets, round the doors, and at union 2011) Reid could be painted for many others meetings, also Trades Council, CND, gay 18 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 The brutality of empire: The ethnic cleansing of the British periphery Adam Charlton recalls a genocidal episode of internal colonialism from Britain’s past hen we think of the British southern and eastern Scotland. Scottish Although often characterised as a Empire, we think of distant monarchs took Anglicised names, and movement solely for the restoration territories separated from English became the language of the royal of the Stuart dynasty, the reality of W the Jacobite movement was more the British mainland by vast expanses court. In the two centuries following of sea. As such, we think of Britain’s unification, the Anglicised Scots of complicated. In Ireland, many Jacobites colonial policies as directed at people in the lowlands would fit into the new sought autonomy from England rather far off regions like Bengal and Kenya. In imperial Britain built upon capitalism, than restoration. In Scotland, the recent decades, the genocidal policies of expansionism, and Protestantism. In movement was as much a response Britain in Ireland have gained domestic contrast, the Gaels of west Scotland’s to the encroachment of Protestant recognition, but Britain’s equally racist Highlands and Islands would be violently England and the modernising forces of policies in western Scotland remain eradicated, along with their clan-based capitalism as it was about the Stuarts. widely undiscussed. way of life and Celtic Catholicism. In their In 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie – last place, their ancestral lands would be of the Stuarts - landed in the Hebrides In 1707, a century after England’s first monetised to serve the colonial centre, and rallied the clans to him. They took colony was established in the New and the brutally depopulated islands and Edinburgh without resistance, and World, the Acts of Union joined England dells would be mythologised as gloriously won a series of battles in Scotland and Scotland under one monarch. Like empty get-away destinations for those and northern England. Poised to take so much of the language and history seeking an escape from life at the centre London, however, the divisions within surrounding Scotland’s position within of empire. the Jacobite movement came to the Great Britain and the British Empire, the fore. For Charles, England was the prize, term ‘union’ is somewhat disingenuous. This is a story we are more familiar but the Gaels that constituted the bulk Although the acts were ratified by with in Ireland, and the Gaelic peoples of his army had little interest in fighting both English and Scottish Parliaments, of Ireland and western Scotland are beyond Scotland. Having pulled back to the latter had little choice in the closely connected. Catholicism reached the Moray Firth, a bolstered British army matter. Inspired by England’s growing mainland Britain via Ireland, and caught up with them in April 1946, and empire overseas, the Scottish Kingdom England via Scotland. The Hebrides massacred the remaining Jacobite forces had attempted to forge a colony in were an influential if peripheral part of at the battle of Culloden. Bonnie Prince modern day Panama at the end of the the Catholic world, and the monastery Charlie escaped to France, and the seventeenth century. The plan was to at Iona – a small island off the coast of Jacobite era came to an end. control an overland route linking the Mull - was important enough to lead Atlantic to the Pacific, and the Scottish a dispute with Rome over the date of These events had an enormous impact Crown invested about 20% off all the Easter. This division, among others, lead on the English psyche. The current currency circulating in the Kingdom into to the development of a distinct kind of national anthem was written to rouse establishing ‘New Caledonia’. As you Catholicism, known as Celtic Christianity, the spirits of Londoners facing the may have surmised, this plan failed, in which distinguished the region from the prospect of a Jacobite siege, hence the part due to an English trade blockade. rest of mainland Britain. Gaelic society verse, ‘rebellious Scots to crush’. More This left Scotland bankrupt, and it was was organised into familial tribes, importantly, it contributed to a narrative in this context that a predatory England known as clans. Clan members owed about savage and irrational Gaels, and entered into ‘union’ with a financially their loyalty to a chieftain. In return for provided a rationale to deal with the last ruined Scotland. their fealty, the clan’s folk had access to un-Anglicised corner of Britain. In the the land and sea off which they could decades following Culloden, a campaign Union proved to be hugely profitable of ethnic cleansing was carried out in live and trade. Clan identity superseded for some lowland Scots, who already the western Highlands and Islands. the individual, and the majority of had deep links with England. Glasgow, This began with the erasure of Gaelic Gaels lived a subsistence lifestyle that Edinburgh, and the Central Belt identity. Clan tartans were banned, as has given Celtic Christianity a new age underwent some of the most rapid was the playing of the bagpipes. Such appeal to spiritual environmentalists. In industrialisation of the Industrial policies were intended to destroy Gaelic the century following the Acts of Union, Revolution, whilst the Clyde became identity, born of an inherent racism this thrust Gaelic society into conflict one of the great commercial basins of held among the English and Anglicised with the ideas of Protestant lowlanders, imperial Britain. Yet there were, and Scots towards the Gaelic way of life. David Hume and Adam Smith, who had been for some time, two Scotlands. They also served the practical purpose provided an intellectual underpinning During the previous centuries, cultural of diminishing clan identity and, thus, for Britain’s brand of individualistic and ethnic divisions had grown between destroying the clans as a political force. capitalism, based on land ownership and Gaelic-speaking peoples of north western The collectivist farms were broken up, growth. Scotland and the Scots-speaking people and replaced with capitalist land farming of the south. From the twelfth century In the first half of the 1700s, many - an approach familiar in the lowlands, onwards, Norman-English began to clan chiefs made the fateful decision but incompatible with the clan system of replace Gaelic as the common tongue in to participate in the Jacobite uprisings. the Highlands and Islands. 19 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 As in other parts of the burgeoning of headstones engraved with dates from Culloden, it is hardly surprising British Empire, local inhabitants between 1914 and 1918. Yet despite that Gaelic society was crushed with the considered an obstacle to economic the numbers of Gaelic Scots at the same brutality as the non-white natives growth were either destroyed or cutting edge of the British Empire, the who dared to resist imperial Britain. removed. Personal ownership of land benefactors were the English elite and Today, the ethnic cleansing of the was anathema to Gaelic society, and their Anglicised cousins. The British Gaels is little understood beyond this made it easy to expel crofters from Empire was no more Gaelic than it Scotland itself. Whilst the Clearances their ancestral homes. The population was Indian. It was at its core an Anglo- have provided an impetus for the of the Hebrides was decimated. On Empire, and the ethnic cleansing of the independence movement at times, Rum, about 87% of the population British periphery is evidence of this. the direct culpability of many Scots in was forcibly removed to Nova Scotia, In the wake of the Clearances, the newly clearing the west has made it a prickly Canada. On Mull, thousands of islanders uninhabited landscape of the Highlands cause to rally around. As for the Jacobite were cleared to make way for sheep and Hebrides was mythologised in uprisings; they get the occasional farming, deemed the only profitable use Britain, as though it had always been mention in British schoolbooks - of the land. As in the Americas, biblical this way. The changing weather, shining portrayed as the last hurrah of the verses about making the land productive beaches, and above all enormous Stuarts and their backwards Catholic were employed as justification. In many emptiness of the place was marketed, followers. Certainly, they are never instances, crofters had their houses and wealthy Englishmen purchased contextualised among the other burnt, giving them no choice but to swathes of territory for hunting estates. resistance movements of the British emigrate. Other times, Gaels were Empire. The Gaelic language is happily ridden down, bound with rope, and put making gains, particularly in the Western on boats to Glasgow, from where they Isles, and the BBC has offered Gaelic were sent to Canada. Many died on the radio and Gaelic TV, BBC Alba, since journey. Such stories are reminiscent 1985. These have been valuable tools European slave catching in West Africa. with which to begin stitching western Whilst the scale of the clearances is Scotland’s shattered heritage back dwarfed by the racist excesses of the together. None of this can return the British colonial project elsewhere in people, however, and Visit Scotland the world, it ought to be considered campaigns regularly depict empty vistas among them. Causing serious mental or in an effort to lure city-weary travellers bodily harm, and deliberately inflicting to the region. Over 50% of the country conditions intended to bring about the is owned by 432 individuals, some of physical destruction of an ethic group whom are rarely present on the land are both considered forms of genocide, their ancestors purchased following according to the UN. Like Ireland, the the Clearances. Their disinterest in Scottish islands are among the only the remaining residents continues to places in western Europe now home make life difficult for inhabitants of the to less people than at the start of the Highlands. In this way and others, the eighteenth century. The Clearances legacy of Anglo-supremacy continues were not only an act of genocide, but an to resonate today. Whilst it may not be extremely successful one. among the bloodiest excesses of the British Empire, the ethnic cleansing of For many Gaels however, the Clearances the British periphery completed the were not the end of their relationship Genocides are often concealed like this. first stage of Anglo-expansion. In the with Anglo-supremacist Britain. More Vincent Bevin, in his book The Jakarta following two centuries, Britain would Scots would die in the Seven Years Wars Method, has documented how the export this policy across the globe. than either Englishmen or Americans, as mass graves of Indonesian communists the British Army hoovered up displaced were quickly buried beneath hotels Adam Robertson Charlton is a freelance Gaels, many of whom had grown up in and holiday resorts on islands like Bali. journalist, currently based in Stavanger, a strong martial tradition. Like Indian In Scotland, the people vanished even Norway. His academic background is Sepoys in East Africa, England used the more completely, and their absence in nationalism and ethno-politics, and oppressed people of western Scotland was used to sell their homeland as a his work has been featured in Juan to oppress others in America. Gaels wilderness awaiting those tired of life Cole’s Informed Comment (https:// were considered particularly adept at in the beating heart of empire. What www.juancole.com/), and the Exeter communicating with Native Americans, discussion there was of the Clearances Diplomatic Post journal (https:// one savage to another, as the theory treated them as an entirely necessary exeterdiplomatichub.com/journal/) . went. From there on, Scots would make step in the modernisation of Great up a disproportionate component of the Britain. This was the consensus from British Army, and the First World War British liberals to Fredrich Engels, who resulted in a secondary decimation of considered the west coast of Scotland – what was left of the old clan nobility, whilst geographically nearer to industrial 250 years on from Culloden. A visit to centres – to require the same level any clan burial site in the Highlands of modernisation as India. Given the and Islands will reveal a constellation universality of this view 100 years on 20 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 A case to leave NATO and for Scottish neutrality Kailash Kutwaroo says independence opens up progressive policy positions for Scotland on the world stage hould an independent Scotland Scottish part of the British military. issues such as organised crime, threats leave the NATO military alliance? The key ‘threats’ at best are those of to its significant fishing stocks and illegal SIt’s possibly not the most pressing international terrorism, cyber warfare trafficking of people and goods. issue for the Scottish independence and possibly climate change damage Whatever the final formation agreed, movement at present, when compared from flooding and destruction of critical the basic aims would be protection to the more demanding issues such as infrastructure. Yet despite the rhetoric, of Scotland itself. Thus, the persistent how Independence can be achieved, NATO membership would provide belief that any SDF will need NATO as a the timing of a second referendum, dubious ‘added value’ in these areas guarantor of its security, even without and what kinds of trading and border with a military-led response even being the need for nuclear weapons, is wrong. relationships with the EU and post- unsuitable in some of those cases Scottish membership of NATO could be Brexit Britain might the new state have. where different forms of international seen as important to reinforce NATO’s Yet the question of Scotland’s future cooperation would be more effectively overall strategic disposition especially membership of NATO is an important explored. Furthermore, participation in the Arctic and the Greenland Gap one that will need to be addressed at in current NATO missions is of but that offers little to an independent one stage or another. Let’s evaluate questionable value (e.g., Kosovo) whilst Scotland re-examining its future some of the arguments advanced others in Afghanistan seem no longer European and global security needs. for and against continuous NATO to be of any long-term utility and are at Indeed, re-joining NATO would replicate membership. any rate coming to the end of their runs the damaging Cold War mindsets of with the planned American withdrawal Firstly, assuming it attains seeking an external ‘enemy’ and risk in September of this year. Despite the independence, Scotland will need the building of a genuinely defensive global Islamist threat and the earlier to i) dislocate itself from its current military model for Scotland. Hence, Northern Ireland conflict, the country integrated relationship as part of the UK NATO’s emphasis on ‘interoperability’ has at any rate little history of being a armed forces system, and ii) identify a and ‘standards’ bias member states target for violent paramilitary terror new set of defence needs and purposes towards ever higher levels of military assault. for the Scottish state’s armed forces. In spending that emphasise large both areas, there is room for significant The post-independence alternatives proportions of expensive weaponry like drift away from NATO. For example, the for Scottish defence have been the advanced tanks and artillery. Little of present British military is designed not subject of much fertile national debate this would be of any use to a Scotland to defend the home islands but to fight both within the Scottish political no longer viewing the world in such offensive European wars in conjunction establishment as well as related think adversarial terms and whose own with its NATO allies in specialised battle tank communities. Various models from physical geographic interior is a barrier groups. Since that is the case why would the Nordic approach of cooperation to to any (unlikely) attacker. any newly developed Scottish Defence Irish neutrality have been advocated. By moving towards a Scottish defence Force (SDF), especially its army element, The parameters suggested by based on its own interests, Scotland look to reconstruct such a position? commentators like Dorcha Lee, a retired could start to discard the overhangs Irish Army Colonel, include, for example, Breaking apart from this structure of of NATO membership. For example, a numerically smaller two brigade UK defence would, thus, foster a new rescinding the Nuclear Trident Regular-Reserve Army. The latter would mindset among Scottish strategic- programmes would mean it no longer focus on home defence and the former defence planners. A primary objective having to serve the two large Naval on offering first line terrain protection in this context would be to make the ports of Faslane and Coulport. Both and expertise for humanitarian, military defence of Scotland itself and not a could be closed or alternatively used observer and peace building missions long past threat from Russia as its as part of the enlarged Scottish Naval- with an integrated Special Forces principal consideration. Encouragingly, Coastguard HQ with the freed-up element for counter-terrorism tasks current SNP policy thinking shows staff being redeployed elsewhere. The and protecting North Sea oil areas. good awareness of this by its country could also abandon any use of Within these capabilities, a Brigade acknowledgement that the country’s submarines that would be inappropriate dedicated to Cold Weather fighting long coastline and maritime resources for a nation of its size - neither New would accurately meet Scotland’s necessitate a new prioritisation, aspects Zealand nor Ireland, countries of defensive needs over its own landmass. that have been long neglected by its comparable size, have a submarine fleet It would also be worth exploring as an incorporation within the British union. - or instead keep a very small deterrent optimal solution with the remaining fleet. In the main, therefore, Scotland UK an integrated air defence system would face very few threats to it from covering both countries. In parallel, an All of this is suggestive of a move conventional state-led assault or enlarged Scottish Naval-Coastguard with towards a neutral Scotland. It is but from a weapons of mass destruction air support built around the US model we should not incorrectly interpret (WMD) component that would is another route by which the country’s such a development as a future SDF justify the present disposition of the defences could be bolstered to deal with withdrawal from the world per se. The 21 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 latter’s expertise in areas drawn from its The struggle over Scottish None of this should underestimate British experiences could be elaborated disengagement will be waged politically either the geo-political repercussions of in international military policing, UN especially in the international sphere an exit from NATO. The undermining of peacekeeping, logistical expertise in and with the rump rUK government at its presence close to Arctic routes would emergency relief including pandemics the same time. An expressed desire by be felt by NATO as would the hole in its and field hospital work, all of which can Scotland to seek, at best, a different nuclear umbrella, but we should not offer much needed services at times of relationship with NATO through say the exaggerate these points. It’s possible international and regional crises. For Partnership for Peace (PFP) scheme that new agreements could be formed instance, retaining a satisfactory air may well be regarded as a prelude to by the SDF to undertake tripartite transport fleet including a portion of a fully detached connection with the exercises with NATO and UK forces the Hercules planes after independence Alliance and that does not even include to bolster the former’s cold weather could help in all these respects. the complex issue of the safe removal fighting expertise and other military- Specialised forces could also be used on of nuclear weapons. NATO would make naval exercises on a need-by-need basis. a UN Security Council approved basis a strong effort to re-secure full Scottish Tensions with the rUK, which would or as part of EU missions to deal with membership. It is an open secret after stay within NATO, could be improved acts say of international terrorism if all that NATO lobbied the SNP vigorously by a sensible division of military assets and liabilities and the aforementioned Scotland re-joins the latter. It would be behind the scenes of the 2014 common air defence system with a neutral Scotland but one that is firmly independence referendum for such an Scottish defences focusing heavily upon humanitarian and externally outlooking outcome. protecting urban centres and pivotal in its orientation. areas like its main sea A final argument for ports. NATO withdrawal is, of The outcome of the 2021 course, financial savings. Holyrood elections saw These have the potential the anti-NATO Greens to be considerable and increase their number of would be in addition to seats and reinforce those the economic benefits who seek within the SNP in removing the Trident to have a reconsideration submarine fleet and of NATO membership. Yet weapons. Various this situation is complicated investigations have by SNP divisions with shown that if Scotland conservative elements, adopted Ireland’s average expressed in statements GDP expenditure on by the party’s Westminster military spending (as a It’s possible that any new post- defence spokesperson, non-NATO member), it could save over independent Scottish Government could Stewart McDonald, seeking a more £2bn pa from its new defence budget. explain through its existing diplomatic hawkish pro-NATO stance whilst SNP At the very least, the cost of defending channels that its neutrality policy was CND see no logic in discussing NATO Scotland itself would not need be not initially a fundamentally non-aligned membership prior to the removal of the anything like NATO’s aspirational 2% policy. This would still indicate that Trident submarines. The latter, again of GDP spending on membership or it was sympathetic to the West and inspired by the Finnish example, see the over 4% that it currently stands at would not be openly pro-Russian (or the ‘prospect’ of NATO membership within the Scottish budget. The nation equally unnecessarily hostile to Russia) as a lever to extract diplomatic ‘good could very reasonably be protected with or whatever orientation that might behaviour’ both from NATO and Russia, which is what Finland achieves and only 1.4%-1.7% of GDP (approximately generate unnecessary disquiet among does so admirably. Yet the truer prize the EU average) dedicated towards its various European neighbours. A not for Scotland outside of NATO remains defence. It would also not be starting dissimilar stance has helped Finland, arguably though a security policy anew, obtaining some of its share of a non-NATO member, in its relations wedded to both peaceful co-existence the military hardware from the old with Russia to convince the latter not and not confrontation behind regionally UK for its Air and Naval elements to push it into the NATO orbit whilst armed blocs. This is an opportunity to (Two frigates, possession of RAF Iceland which is a NATO member has be seized and not diluted on the path to Lossiemouth etc). Moreover, a well- no standing military of its own, thus, independence. planned Defence Transformation Fund placating Russian concerns in the Artic could offset the losses of the arms shipping channels. Another northern Kailash Kutwaroo is an independent manufacturing industries (though neighbour, Denmark, has been cited researcher with a public policy indigenous capabilities should not be by former SNP MP, Stephen Gethins, background in local government, NGO entirely forsaken) in Scotland towards a as one Scotland could emulate as the and public sectors. He is planning to programme of investment in alternative nation has no submarine fleet but has undertake doctoral study into the role peaceful production with tax raising conversely paid an often-overlooked of the UN safe areas in the Bosnian civil potential to mitigate the anticipated human price as a NATO partner in war of 1992-1995. loss of NATO related expenditure in the military interventions such as in economy. Afghanistan and Libya. 22 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 The social and national are one: Labour and Scottish independence Chris Sutherland makes an impassioned plea to develop a radical agenda for independence n the eve of the 1916 Easter government ended in 1997 with the worse?’, I heard people cry. I was Rising, Hannah Sheehy- election of a Blair government but, like working as a hospital cleaner in 2014 OSkeffington, the wife of the millions of others, I quickly became and a work-mate summed things up pacifist, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, disillusioned as Labour became the when she said: ‘Well, at least it’ll be our asked James Connolly: ‘Tell me, Jim, party of privatisation and war – a final fuck-up!’ How could it get any worse have you ever any hope of anything humiliation was Thatcher describing was a common response. If you’re poor on the other side?’ Both her husband Tony Blair as her ‘finest achievement’. and at the bottom of society, what’s and Connolly were to lose their lives Labour’s share of the vote collapsed there to lose? ‘What if it all falls apart?’ during the Rising. At least the prospect from 13.5m in 1997 to 8.6m in I asked a porter. ‘We’ll do what we of an after-life offered some comfort 2010 (albeit with 12.9m in 2017). In always do,’ he replied in a thick Fife for a doomed uprising. Quick as a flash, 2007, I switched to the Greens out drawl: ‘we’ll invade!’ Some wag wrote Connolly replied: ‘The British Labour of desperation and on my return to to the local paper saying ‘If you give Party? Oh no, they won’t lift a finger to Scotland in 2010 I switched to the SNP us independence, we’ll give you back help us’ (from Samuel Levenson’s 1973 whom I’ve voted for ever since. Berwick Rangers!’ ‘James Connolly’ biography, p291). The 2014 ‘left turn’ was as exhilarating What a tragedy, therefore, for Labour to Connolly had no illusions as he set for me as it was for thousands of desert its pro-independence supporters. off for the General Post Office that others. As the campaign rolled on, it By doing so it completely misread the Easter Monday. By committing his tiny was ‘debate night’ every night on TV. I national mood. Many ‘No’ voters still ‘Irish Citizen Army’, he was staking remember the faces of the 16-year olds supported greater devolution. It wasn’t Labour’s place in the struggle for Irish who suddenly got the vote for the first a blank cheque for unionism and when Independence in the full knowledge time. I travelled down to Edinburgh for promises of devolution did not happen that the British labour movement would mass rallies and watched the impromptu - at least in popular perception, the remain largely silent. To Connolly the meetings in Dundee’s City Square. There SNP began to hoover up votes. A whole ‘national’ and the ‘social’ (which he were even rallies in the car park outside generation of Scottish careerist Labour used for socialist) were one and the my flat in Cupar. I remember being MPs was wiped out in an instant. same struggle. What would be the point stopped by a Dutch TV crew intrigued With Labour trapped in the past, it still of an independent Ireland if the same that an Anglo-Scot would be voting for clings stubbornly to the unionist cause, forces of exploitation and appropriation independence. now into its fourth leader in seven continued under a new native ruling Despite all the weaknesses of the ‘Yes’ years. Anas Sarwar, held on in May 2021 class, swapping one set of bosses for campaign, I was hit by the sudden but he’s still part of the ‘old guard’, another? realisation that the need for democracy caught in the quicksand of the ‘ghost Think back now to 2014 during the trumped all other considerations. I of Gordon’ and his infamous ‘pledges’ referendum when, languishing in the hadn’t expected that. These included now threatening a comeback. Scottish polls, Alex Salmond suddenly made the trumping of economic factors, Labour’s renaissance never materialised, his ‘left turn’ with its vision of a more warnings of financial melt-down, firms despite its organic links to the union egalitarian, less class ridden society. relocating to England, lack of a central movement, and all this with the sure Suddenly, the campaign was electrified bank, lack of a currency, collapse of knowledge that Labour as a national with a groundswell of ‘Yessers’ warming pensions and the value of savings, the force can never expect to be elected to to the notion of a socialistic Scotland. break-up of the BBC, plans for a 15,000 office without its ranks of Scottish MPs, This then produced the panicked Scottish defence force with a couple of and me, like thousands of former voters response of the three unionist parties in ships and a few planes, even the daft stuck to a right-moving SNP. We too defence of ‘Scotland plc’, wrapped in the idea of sharing the Queen. are trapped, like political exiles without Union Jack. a home, afraid that if we break ranks None of this mattered against having with the SNP, it’ll be the end of our one Not only did Labour ‘not lift a finger’ the freedom to decide our own affairs. chance of independence, even if it might in the struggle for an independent For decades, Scotland had been on mean an independent Scotland trapped Scotland, it attempted to squash the the receiving end of governments it in neo-liberal austerity with the SNP like independence movement with its had never voted for. We all remember a one-party state (as it was in Ireland collective thumb. But it backfired how Thatcher piloted the Poll Tax, during the post independent period, spectacularly when all three parties shut down many industries, stole our inward looking with its Magdalene were decimated in the 2015 General council housing, squandered North Sea laundries). Election, leaving the SNP the dominant oil receipts to wage war against the I looked at the Scottish Growth force in Holyrood and at Westminster, a working class, sold off the ‘family silver’, Commission’s 2018 Report with dismay situation which persists seven years on. transferring wealth to the rich from the as I glimpsed an independent Scotland poor and decimating public services. I used to be a life-long Labour voter. trapped in permanent austerity with I celebrated when 18 years of Tory But ‘what if independence made things fiscal and current account deficits, its tax 23 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 income and investment resources way force for independence is democracy, health; a universal state and higher short of any post-Covid, post-carbon being free from Westminster and having educational system; an end to Trident capacity to green the Scottish economy, the power to run its own affairs, how and nuclear mass destruction and dependent upon foreign lending democratic is it to attach Scotland to the proud affirmation of a Scottish markets with pressure to cut and the EU which is moving inexorably to republic. There needs to be a frank and privatise and still no sign of a Central political union? How does that place a honest discussion about the role of Bank, no answers on currency and how small country like Scotland, subsumed the state and the individual in a newly Scotland would cope with a flight of as a tiny region in a huge political and independent nation and also what sort capital. economic bloc in which Scotland would of political system emerges at Holyrood. only have a tiny number of seats? Do we keep or ditch d’Honte for full- What I also discovered from the hospital blown PR or go backwards to FPTP? shopfloor in 2014 was how few of my To my mind, there needs to be a more What sort of institutions replace the workmates were union members, and decisive shift in the independence old? These are arguments for the here how many opposed independence movement, one that is spearheaded by and now and not for two years down the because they were afraid of what would the ‘Under One Banner/Now Scotland’- road. happen to their terms and conditions, style mass presence on the streets wages, pensions, mortgages and savings. with its more radical ambition for an We go back to James Connolly on the ‘Project Fear’ especially amongst the independent Scotland, driving the eve of the Easter Rising – ‘the social and elderly worked because it resonated, debate and setting the agenda. Labour the national are one’. Socialists need just as ‘Hope not Fear’ surged amongst needs to be part of this. It needs to to stake their claim to a new nation. newly enfranchised teenagers. The abandon its attachment to unionism Without it, progressive nationalism divisiveness of 2014 is still very much and attach its colours to the radical can go in directions we might not like. with us in 2021 despite a belated pro- independence movement. The Greens The interests of the Scottish working independence shift in the polls. For me, on their own might have influence as class should be at the forefront of a narrow majority will not be capable coalition partners, but theirs is still an independent Scotland and for of delivering long-term independence. a junior role. A united front of SNP/ that we need a pro-independence A 55%-45% split in favour over a long Left Labour/Green might give us the Labour Party marching alongside period would probably be a more balance of class forces needed for a AUOB and Now Scotland, in alliance reliable tipping point. Otherwise, we breakthrough to 55%. with other progressive forces - the could be in for years of warfare at the Greens, Extinction Rebellion, Black And the battleground is one of ideas – hustings. Yet all the SNP/Green coalition Lives Matter, Palestine Solidarity, the the greening of the Scottish economy, offers following the 2021 Holyrood Women’s movement and LGBT+ and generating jobs and investment, a election is two years post-Covid the thousands of marching, chanting universal basic income, free public consolidation ... in other words ‘business teenagers. transport, the drive for mass council as usual’ and political heel-kicking. Who housing, rolling back forty years Chris Sutherland is a lifelong socialist, knows where the pendulum will have of privatisation, re-nationalising living in St. Andrews, a member of the swung in that time, with Alba waiting to utilities, rail and telecommunication; Palestinian Solidarity Campaign but not feed on any pickings? land reform and a revolution in of any political party. There is also another contradiction community ownership; a state care to be addressed, namely, the SNP’s system embedded into a well-funded attachment to the EU. If the driving NHS, an end to the marketisation of Appeal for donations The Jimmy Reid Foundation reaches its tenth birthday on 10 August 2021. It was launched a year after the death of Jimmy Reid by the Scottish Left Review magazine which Jimmy founded. Over its life, the Jimmy Reid Foundation has produced nearly 100 publications (policy paper, pamphlets and briefing notes) and organised dozens of meetings and our annual lectures. In order to help continue with our work for the next ten years, please donate to the Foundation: i) Donate via Paypal on our website: https://reidfoundation.scot/ (bottom righthand side) ii) Send a cheque payable to ‘Reid Foundation’ to The Reid Foundation, 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX iii) Make a payment to our bank account: Co-operative Bank, Sort Code: 08-92-99, Acc No: 65491722

24 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Amazon, Uber and union recognition ballots Nigel Flanagan calls for a radical shake-up in how unions mobilise to gain collective bargaining rights from employers hilst union decline continues, books on organising, Jane McAlevey, Our infrastructure is the wider union the chances of organising a was writing in The Nation (9, 15 April movement, unions working together, Wunion recovery in membership 2021) about the failures of the campaign sharing resources and so on. Factional and density appears to get worse. In the with regard to the use of lists, the gate posturing and claiming to be ‘more wake of the catastrophic failure to gain campaign and so forth. She even claims organising than you’ is a rabbit hole that union recognition at US Amazon plant that support for unions in the US is ‘at the unions cannot afford to go down. in Alabama in April 2021, there are still an all-time high’ and that by implication Yet we are seeing that happening right opportunities turning up. But we run the the failure of the campaign was entirely before our eyes. Election candidates risk again of missing even them. down to not following ‘the plan’. who proclaims that they are the ones to organise Amazon as part of an internal The defeat in the campaign in Alabama This nonsense has to stop. The numbers election campaign is a risible spectacle. has become almost an essay in denial. involved in union decline are massive This is a bigger issue than one union The unions involved are now refusing and down to forces way beyond the and there are at least three unions who to own the failure. The fact that the scope of union gurus. Organising has organize in Amazon sectors in Britain. US movement could not win a vote to take place on fertile ground and we in a workforce of 6,000 low paid, should be nurturing out hinterland mainly black workers - with the Our infrastructure is also our active support of the whole of the membership and affiliated ‘Hollywood Left’, the President of institutions. Recent union election the United States, and the leader results have shown appallingly low of the alternative left, Bernie turnouts, with barely a mandate Sanders - is a disaster. But instead obtained in the case of the 10% of owning it, the organisers of the turnouts in the general secretary failed campaign are claiming it was elections in UNISON and the GMB a dirty tricks campaign by Amazon in 2021. Any organising leadership that has defeated them. What did worth its name would tackle this they expect? Citing many obviously immediately and not simply blame unlawful practices by the company, it on member apathy. Unions need the campaign has now moved into to be outward looking in terms of court claims and social movement who their allies could be. But to leverage. In reality, it has nowhere else and our infrastructure so that both are work out a strategy based on them is to to go. With US union density now lower aligned to organising. ignore the best weapon in our hands. than 7% in the private sector and after The other recent major development in Unions need to work out a strategy that 30 years of ‘guru organising’, it’s time for union organising was the announcement involves all the groups and layers of the US movement to give it up as far as of the union recognition agreement socialist activists in Britain. this guru organising style is concerned. between Uber and the GMB in Britain This is our hinterland. There were Recent announcements that the in May 2021. It has been denounced in 600,000 Labour members under Teamsters are going to escalate their some quarters as a ‘sweetheart deal’ Corbyn only three years ago. We Amazon campaign with a plan of that contains no provision for bargaining need to get them together and on disruption and confrontation give on pay but this is not to see the wood board for a socialist union recognition us more hope. As Randy Korgan, the for the trees. The GMB now has access campaign in Amazon. The Peoples’ The Teamsters Amazon Director, told to 70,000 drivers. It has to organise and Assembly can command forces into Guardian (24 June 2021): ‘everything recruit them, but that requires pushing extra-parliamentary activity. It’s time is on the table’. Rather than pursuing the employer back a little to make some this conversation started. The Black the union recognition vote strategy that space. That is precisely what the GMB Lives Matter movement in Britain has backfired in Alabama, the Teamsters – has done. thousands of progressive activists. Their still a powerful union of 1.3m members The Teamsters have struck the right note energy and focus upon social justice and a rich one at that – is planning a in seeing Amazon requires all the forces are precisely what are lacking in the long campaign based on the use of the at our disposal and a wider strategy movement. Someone once said workers union infrastructure and the hinterland of attack. Simply handing over much of the world unite. More unity, more of the US unions in cities like Los of the work to social and community action – and no gurus. It’s still in our Angeles and New York. movements results in the down grading hands. There is still the legacy of the gurus, of the use of industrial strength. To Nigel Flanagan is a Global Union however. There are some who insist the build that strength means engagement Organiser and activist currently based in Alabama defeat was simply a matter with our union hinterland and our Liverpool. of not being committed enough to the infrastructure. Allies and public opinion details. Thus, within days author of are helpful, but not decisive. 25 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 feedback

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Nadine Labaki, director, for bringing him into this world, and he Capernaum (2018) wants to stop them from bringing more children into the besieged, miserable Reviewed by Jackie Bergson world into which he and his sister have apernaum is a devastatingly been born. captivating drama which overflows The street-smart boy shines amongst the with ingenuity and social realism. C backdrop of adults who are conditioned From the outset, in casting non-actor, to survive amidst abusers and con artists Zain Al Rafeea, to play the main role of who feed off their children and treat Zain El Hajj, the filmmakers gifted their them as disposable commodities. As audiences with an outstanding, heart- the narrative of Capernaum progresses, and-soul character. Real-life Syrian child it becomes clear that Zain is the voice refugee, Zain, effectively carries the of reason and justice, and his message lives of children and young people who entire film. He embodies his fictional is amplified when he calls a live are in similar or identical situations as character with heart-breaking aplomb. broadcaster while he is incarcerated to those in Capernaum significantly better. Not since Ken Loach cast teenager, David tell them why he wants to stop what is Kes Zain Al Rafeea, in particular, is Bradley, in (1969) has a character happening to him and around him. conveyed such powerful emotional and consequently resident, and being cultural relevance and truth. The emotions we witness in the film are educated at schools, in Norway. This often glaringly true because many of the was achieved with the approval of his Set in Beirut, the film opens with indigenous characters in the film have real parents, whose lives in Lebanon shocking images of Zain – whose age his witnessed identical realities. Distressing are impoverished and beyond tough parents cannot confirm, but who looks events which actually happened in and whose love for their son contrasts no more than nine years old - being real time indubitably emphasise this markedly with his ‘heartless’, fictional taken prisoner and having to explain verisimilitude. For instance, ‘illegal’ parents in the film. himself before a court judge. We learn Ethiopian immigrant and mother, Rahil There are several interesting Q&A videos as the film progresses that his crime (Yordanos Shifera) who agrees with and ‘making of’ documentaries and was to stab a male landlord who was Zain that he will look after her infant, information online for those who would given his eleven-year-old sister, played Yonas (Treasure Bankole) is arrested and like to learn more about Capernaum by Haita ‘Cedra’ Izam, as a wife. The imprisoned in the film. In interviews, from the cast and crew. Significantly, revelation that this trade-off was agreed director Nadine Labaki spoke of how reports consistently state that in May by their parents, in order that they this happened in reality to the actor are able to keep living in their shoddy 2018, it received a 15-minute standing and her child whilst they were filming ovation when it premiered at the apartment, is genuinely harrowing - as is Capernaum . Labaki has also explained Cannes Film Festival. The film was much of the film. Yet, there are touches in interviews that the court judge in the entered to compete for the Palme d’Or of humour and lightness. There is also film appears as himself. and won the Jury Prize. a surprising abundance of warmth and humanity. Exceptional in its power and impact - Capernaum will stay in the hearts and with real events paralleling those on minds of its audiences for a very long We come to realise that the strategic screen as the film was being created, time. It will forever be impossible to reasons which compel such an Capernaum is truly matchless. It is discuss how and why fiction mirrors audacious act by Zain are driven by undoubtedly extremely moving. Yet, reality and vice-versa, without now his worldly-wise integrity. Somehow, its reason to be is heartening. The referring to this incomparable, amongst the dark tragedy of events, effectiveness of Capernaum goes heartrending film. his character has evidently developed beyond audience satisfaction. When into that of a sceptical, strong-willed, their film was in the can, real-life Jackie Bergson has worked in the protective, intelligent youngster who partners Labaki and producer, Khaled voluntary sector and commercial is knowledgeable beyond his years. Mouzanar, set about creating a business development in technology and Consequently, he articulates his purpose charitable foundation to support, assist creative sectors. Educated in and living to the court judge with charismatic and educate youngsters in Syria and in Glasgow, her political and social views directness: he wants to sue his parents Beirut. Their ultimate aim is to make the chime left-of-centre. 26 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 David Bleiman, Fiddler, a poem about the experience multiple identities experienced by those This Kilt of Many Colours, of Russian Jews, Bleiman charts his who live and navigate these worlds. own personal experience of visiting He effectively blends both languages Dempsey and Windle, 2021, Russia, the home of his ancestors, to lay bare the human condition of 9781913329457, £8.00, pp50. whilst observing the country’s history despair and hope being strange bed of anti-Semitism. He employs the final fellows: ‘I feel your pain of bloody Reviewed by David McKinstry lines of the poem to dramatic effect: words, your Wortschmerz [pain] spelling his Kilt of Many Colours is a poetry ‘Ayy [excited yell], is the cry that falls Weltschmerz [world weariness], your pamphlet which explores cultural from the burning barn when the open wounds – open worlds’. This identity, memory and the tensions Cossacks ride out in the morning.’ Again, succinctly expresses how the despair T of the past can recede and give hope between alienation and assimilation the theme of the history of religious and how they shape individual and intolerance is returned to in El Impacto for a liveable present. He further group identity. It is written from the del Olvido which focuses on the explores the themes of endurance and perspective of a Scot of Jewish heritage, Jewish persecution during the Spanish survival in Nasos Vayenas, 1978 ending whose family has suffered the fate of Inquisition. Ending the poem with the with the lines: ‘I am writing now, many European Jews, were viewed as line: ’… before came 1492, before came forty years on, to help us, as you say, outsiders and treated with outright 1943’ serves to remind the reader that to endure everyday life’. The poet›s hostility in Christian Europe. Bleiman anti-Semitism has a long blood-stained verse, although particular to the Jewish writes from personal and collective history across Europe. experience, also has a universality to it which resonates across cultural Throughout his work, Bleiman uses boundaries. the exit lines of his verse as device to bring his poems to a dramatic Bleiman’s more personal poems climax and to give his words a deeper such as Dream Mash Lullaby, whilst profoundness. Whilst this technique touching, lack power of his verse could be deemed as clumsy and when it deals with historical forces repetitive in less skilful hands, he and how they shape identity. Bitter employs it to great effect giving his Fruit Ripening focuses the destruction work added solemnity. This can be of the Great Mosque of Cordoba seen in the end lines to Place Markers: and returns to the theme of Jewish ‘Five hundred years of sun won’t clear expulsion from Catholic Spain after the dew from the gardens where the the fall of Moors ending with the lines: pomegranates grew’. Again, his use of ‘Oranges here will ripen again and we imagery and wordplay goes beyond the shall make marmalade from bitter fruit’. decorative to have a compelling impact Here, he makes use of the imagery of of the gravity of the Jewish persecution the quintessentially Spanish orange to across the continent throughout the potent effect. The fall of Granada ended 700 years of relative religious tolerance centuries. and directly led to the Inquisition which As the title suggests, This Kilt of Many originally focused its attacks on Spanish frames of reference in this superb Colours, examines the themes of Jewry. This religious persecution was collection, exploring culture and multiple cultural identities through the fervently supported by joint monarchs, identity and how the past shapes us prism of heritage and explores not only Isabella and Ferdinand V, who were on a personal level, whilst not shying the persecution of European Jewry, but known as the Catholic Monarchs. Again, away from directly addressing the larger also the rich Yiddish language which when the writer returns to the theme issues of Europe’s long history of anti- has contributed to Scottish culture. The of European anti-Semitism is where his Semitism. Trebbler’s Tale is reminiscent of Hugh verse has the power to move. MacDiarmid, blending Scots and His poems subtly address In the space available, I cannot hope to Yiddish to good effect and a reminder historical injustices from the capture all that is extraordinary in this that Yiddish was still to be heard in forced conversion and expulsion of collection. This is an essential read for Glasgow’s Gorbals as late as 1970s. Spanish Jewry, to Russian pogroms anyone who loves poetry and words and Although, the poem on first reading is and the Holocaust. Bleiman’s is interested in how history and culture verse blends his personal family difficult because of its extensive use of impact and shape personal identity. journey with wider historical forces Scots and Yiddish tongues, nevertheless, and examines what it means to have perseverance with it reveals a richness • For more information, see https:// multiple cultural identities and of language which blends the Ayrshire www.dempseyandwindle.com/ experiences whilst retaining the essence soil of Burns and the fertile earth of davidbleiman.html of being both Jewish and Scottish. eastern European Yiddish culture. The Dr David McKinstry Teaches History at poem was a worthy winner of last year’s The collection reminds us that the Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow. Scots Language Society Sangschaw Prize. Holocaust was not an isolated historical apparition, which can only be laid at This technique is again employed the feet of the Nazis, but was part of in Alphabet. Bleiman uses English and long European tradition of murderous German to illuminate intersectionality anti-Semitism. In Lacquer Wood between several cultures and the 27 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 Fotheringham, B., Sherry, D. and to ‘lead a mass working class movement Labour and split the parent party. Those for independence while campaigning who opposed it are described as ‘self- Bryce, C. (eds.) Breaking up against all cuts and for public ownership appointed ‘‘bolshevik historians’ [who] the British State: Scotland, and socialist policies’. It advocates a new do not understand the history of the Independence & Socialism Labour-type party, to be established by Bolshevik Party’. Quoting Trotsky, Taaffe Scottish unions, ‘not necessarily from its describes the ‘confused consciousness’ (Bookmarks, 2021, 436pp, £12) and inception having a Marxist programme,’ of Scottish workers as the ‘outer shell of Stott. P. and Taaffe, P. Scotland but which would allow ‘the forces of immature Bolshevism’. the Socialist party [to] … seek to be a The second part of the chapter, by & the National Question: powerful Marxist influence.’ This seems Stott, was written in 2003, and is A Marxist Approach (SPS to be the old Militant policy of entryism a criticism of the leadership of the in new clothes. In the meantime, Publications, 2020, 145pp, £8) then Scottish Socialist Party, which if a new referendum is refused by he accused of ‘promoting illusions in Reviewed by Murray Armstrong Westminster, a ‘Constituent or National capitalist independence at the expense Assembly’ should be called, similar Two books address the same two of socialism’. Scottish Militant Labour to those in France in 1789 and Russia questions: why should socialists support split again over the formation of the in 1917. ‘Marxists would call for such an independent Scotland and how do Scottish Socialist Party. Stott writes that an Assembly to have a revolutionary we get there? Breaking up the British this was a ‘squandered opportunity to character and to be convened and State is a collection of ten essays build a sizeable left party in Scotland’, made up of delegates from mass explaining the events that shaped the and that the leaders of the Scottish workers’ organisations, trade unions, modern British state and Scotland’s Socialist Party ‘abandoned Marxism and neighbourhood assemblies, mass youth relationship to them. The essays were went down the road of left nationalism organisations and so on.’ written by members of the Socialist and reformism, with calamitous Workers Party in Scotland, constituting In dealing with the national question, consequences.’ Stott was in the minority their manifesto for ‘indyref2’ and the methods of the two publications in this split and with others formed the beyond. Scotland & the National could not be more different. Breaking Socialist Party Scotland, publishers of Question has five chapters containing up the British Statehas an erudite Scotland & the National Question. For articles and internal documents from and elegantly written essay by Bob any new reader looking for clarity on the the Socialist Party Scotland and its Fotheringham and Donny Gluckstein national question, this is not the place antecedents in Scottish Militant Labour entitled ‘Scotland, the National Question to start. Lenin and Trotsky are quoted that chart its splits over the Scottish and Marxism’, which outlines the often, but in a fashion more akin to question from 1992 until 2020. historical development of the modern scriptural dispute than political analysis. Both agree that an independent nation state and the attitude of Marx and Engels to the national question at The sidelining of Labour is of central Scotland would represent a serious blow importance to any analysis of Scotland to British capitalism but that without the time of the European revolutions of 1848. They compare that with the fresh today, and Dave Sherry and Julie Sherry significant structural change, it will be in Breaking up the British Statedevote of little benefit to working people. They insights of Trotsky in 1905 and Lenin in 1917, when colonial imperialism was nearly eighty pages to the party and concur that the current programme of the unions. Their chapter, ‘The Decline the Scottish National Party will result at its zenith. They then ask how these theories might be applied to Scotland of the Labour party in Scotland’, takes in two capitalist blocs with austerity us through many important industrial policies facing each other on one today. Their chapter is followed by three substantial essays: ‘The Formation of disputes from the 1970s onwards, as island. They also agree that the fight Scotland’, ‘The Making of the Scottish shop-floor trade unionists were forced for independence cannot be fought Working Class, 1787 to 1850’, and to overcome the hesitancy or opposition without raising demands for the radical ‘Red Clydeside’. Taken together, these of Labour-leaning union officials to improvement of working-class lives and four chapters provide a map to the arguing for a socialist future. But there present day and the ‘twin souls of the the agreement ends. independence movement’ - nation and Breaking up the British State places class - together with the democratic great emphasis on building grassroots challenge for an independent state: ‘the organisations such as All Under One potential to ‘grow over’ into something Banner and Now Scotland ‘to fully more ambitious’. mobilise the collective social power of The difficulty with the arguments of the working class, the only force capable Philip Stott and Peter Taaffe is that they of confronting state power and moving are tangled with disagreements in their beyond the timidity of the parliamentary own party. Their chapter, ‘Applying the wing of the independence movement’. Method of Marxism’ is in two parts. The This united front should include unions first is a document written by Taaffe in as well as anti-racist and climate 1992 when he was general secretary campaigners. of Militant. It was in response to the Scotland & the National Question, on rise in popular support for a Scottish the other hand, argues that ‘a new mass parliament. The ‘Scottish turn’ led workers party in Scotland’ is necessary to the formation of Scottish Militant 28 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 secure even minor advances. Beginning devolution, which had been mooted new leadership elected by a national with the mass solidarity shown for by Tory Prime Minister, Ted Heath, in convention and a post-independence striking workers at East Kilbride’s BSR 1974 to counter a growing SNP. The workers party ‘embracing the unions, factory in 1969, they guide us through a 1997 referendum saw 74% vote yes to a Labour supporters, and the left of near comprehensive history of modern parliament in Edinburgh. the SNP, and a broader left sentiment industrial relations in Scotland. The released from its old constitutional The Tory years from 2010, which began unfortunate legacy of a failed ‘popular commitments’ (his words). It also with Labour winning 42% of the vote front’ strategy around the ‘work-in’ discusses John Foster’s contribution in Scotland and 41 Westminster seats, at Upper Clyde Shipbuilders in 1972 is for the Scottish Communist Party on saw utter defeat in 2015. Even Jeremy closely followed by the miners’ strike, ‘Radical Federalism’. Fotheringham’s Corbyn and the Momentum movement which smashed Tory wage controls. We main conclusion is that ‘we cannot made little impact in the Blairite Scottish are taken through the second miners’ leave the argument for socialism and Labour Party. ‘The weakness of Labour’s strike in the 1980s, the closure of car workers’ self-emancipation out of the opposition to austerity at both national manufacture at Linwood, the occupation case for Scottish independence. To do so and local level,’ argue Sherry and Sherry, by the women in Lee Jeans at Greenock, would condemn Scottish workers to the ‘and the absence of a lead from the and a wave of occupations and sit-ins continued exploitation by the bosses, union leaders … its role in outsourcing that they generated in other places. The with all the consequences of poverty, and privatising council services, and its theme running through this and most of exploitation and racism which we are attacks on workers’ the disputes up to the present is that, subject to under the British state.’ as at the Uddingston Caterpillar fight conditions and pay all … combined to Scotland & the National Question is against closure in 1987, ‘Despite official weaken Labour’s fifty-year hold on something less than its subtitle, A passivity, the workers mounted a terrific Scottish politics. The final straw was Marxist Approach. It is more a collection fight. They defied the law, stayed solid, its rush to wrap itself in the Union Jack of papers and articles that might and won widespread support.’ alongside David Cameron in the 2014 interest a future historian of orthodox referendum’. Labour in government is also dissected Trotskyism and the Scottish question, to find the origins of its decline. We The SNP and the wider independence although the points of its manifesto are reminded of the wage freezes and movement came to be seen as the are spelt out clearly at the end of the welfare cuts of the Labour governments only way to resist Tory attacks, and chapter, ‘SNP’s White Paper Will Not of 1964-1970 and 1974-1979, which they are given an equally rigorous Deliver Change’. They include public led to the ‘Winter of Discontent’ in analysis in the three concluding ownership of industry and utilities, 1979 and ushered in the government chapters of the book. SNP policy is reversing social and benefit cuts, no to of Margaret Thatcher. Scotland was a for an independent Scotland in which NATO, and abolition of anti-trade union guinea pig for her Poll Tax, introduced very little structural change would take laws. For anyone wishing a clear and in 1989, which a Scottish Labour Party place. The Holyrood government’s historical exposition of Marxism and the conference in 1988 refused to fight, 2020 Report of the Advisory Group on national question in Scotland, Breaking and it was implemented by the biggest Economic Recovery following the Covid up the British State is pertinent and councils, mostly controlled by Labour. crisis, for example, recommends ‘a timely. Local opposition was overwhelming, top-level Council of Business Advisers’ Murray Armstrong is author of ‘The leading to the creation of the Anti-Poll to determine economic priorities. So, Fight for Scottish Democracy: Rebellion Tax Federation, led by Tommy Sheridan. argue Iain Ferguson and Gerry Mooney and Reform in 1820’ (Pluto, 2020). Labour leader Neil Kinnock called them in ‘Neoliberalism with a Heart? Life ‘toytown revolutionaries’. The former Under the SNP’, independence is not the end goal. ‘Rather, independence would Labour MP, Jim Sillars, won a spectacular Berkowitz, E. ‘no poll tax’ by-election victory for the provide the opportunity to reject Tory SNP in Govan with a 33% swing from policies of austerity, privatisation and Dangerous Ideas: A Brief Labour. racism and to build a different kind of History of Censorship in society, free from poverty, inequality The ‘new’ Labour government of and oppression’. the West from the Ancients 1997, led Blair, overturned the long- standing policy of nationalisation and How to get there? The contributions to Fake News, Westbourne his chancellor, Gordon Brown, declared: of various leftist writers and activists Press, 2021, pp384, £20 (hb), 978- ‘The Labour Party is now the party are scrutinised in Bob Fotheringham’s 1908906427. of modern business and industry. chapter ‘Scottish Independence: Beyond Reviewed by Sean Sheehan For the first time it has set down its the Limits of Nationalism’. He examines commitment to a market economy’. the writings of Stephen Maxwell, who A history of censorship is a history of He introduced the Private Finance in the 1970s formulated the case for the world and the author of Dangerous Initiative, again taken up by Labour- ‘left-wing nationalism’; Tom Nairn and Ideas wisely adds the word ‘brief’ to his controlled councils, affecting the finance his many contributions including his book’s subtitle. That still leaves plenty of of schools, hospitals and housing. book The Break-up of Britain; Kenny ground to cover and chapters attending The government also failed to reverse MacAskill and Lesley Riddoch, who to the ancient world and pre-Gutenberg Thatcher’s ‘reforms’, including anti- both look to the Nordic model; Robin Europe are followed by five devoted to union legislation. And, of course, there McAlpine of Common Weal and its the centuries that came after and a final was mass opposition to the Iraq war. impressive range of policy papers; and one looking at the contemporary world. ‘New’ Labour did, however, introduce George Kerevan, with his policy of a The historical stories that fill the pages 29 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 are variations on what should not come as a surprise for, as Leonard Cohen sings it, ‘everybody knows’. Two political poems by Everybody knows that those with power like to control other people and David Bleiman that silencing what has been or might Get Brexit, Donne? Bring gently to the boil be said is half way to controlling what can be thought. Everybody knows that The grass grew green again Take wisdom of youth, impatience of technology designed to monitor and over the rust and richer dust, age, stifle communication plays a catchup where leaders’ lies congealed. stir in exhausted hunger’s appetite for game with technology facilitating change, communication and everybody knows That turf was turned for further use, add a pinch of common sense, an ounce that the ongoing attempt to put Julian a people buried in the mass, ashen, of compassion, Assange on trial is not politically very making their piece of the continent. America battered but back in the game, different to the trial of Socrates that and half the people, half the time, took place two and a half thousand The grass grew tall and coming to the boil at a rolling simmer years earlier. Everybody knows that this time would be tended well, and whisk the mix to a stiff resolve. Israel would like to equate criticism of a continent divided, its treatment of Palestinians with anti- packaged for holidays and peace. MarinadeWeltschmerz in rage and time, Semitism. add idealism, green, raw and ready, Where east I crossed beneath the Wall, the fruits of science, bruised and ripe But what is more nuanced and trickier declaring Human Rights to patiently declaim this globe’s to handle goes beyond a simple in pants concealed, demands, polarisation between freedom of an iron curtain rose blend in your refugees and help them expression (good) and censorship on hopeful nations looking west settle, (bad). Such binaries are comfortable until again the lights went out. add hope and ginger up, but sparingly, when they allow the positioning of for this is a season to taste not waste. ourselves on what seems clearly to be In Caledonia, north of Rome, the right side but situations are not we’d seen it all before, Ignore the instructions on wrappers, always neatly classifiable. Having a when garrison and gods were gone, don’t do what it says on the tin, right to watch snuff movies is not on a each tribe robbed out a local creed. bin Escoffier, anarchist cookbooks, par with the right of Edward Snowden New spectres haunting Europe stalk ban cocktails, for toffs and Molotovs, to leak classified documents revealing the ancient walls of Berwick, facing utopias, dystopias, myopias; secret mass surveillance programs. The south across the Tweed. all banners bright will burn tonight creating of new offences on the stirring if you once take your eye off the heat. up of hatred – as proposed in Scotland’s Think only this: that if a parting tide Hate Crime and Public Order Bill – has should suck this clod of earth away, Now fold in all your leftovers, the potential to impact negatively on still in some corner of a foreign field we lost and found or gone to ground, freedom of expression. stay, your punks and social media junkies, Berkowitz’s book is at its most engaging not dust, not cliff edge, clod nor huddled masses, middle classes, when looking at conflicts of interest precious isle, combine all colours, ages, orientations, between the right to say or print protected by a moat that serves as wall, and though we can’t all be or even see what one wishes and the harmful for we are part and parcel of the main the light, consequences of, say, hate speech, and though today for gain or pain, we still we have world enough and time leave, if most of us at least can tell the day pornography or fake news. Then yet we remain. from night. there are complications arising from publishing material like cartoons of Muhammad. Dangerous Ideas argues David Bleiman is an Edinburgh-based that censorship doesn’t work even poet who took to writing poetry in his though the author acknowledges sixties. He was the Scottish official of the that limitless toleration of harmful University and College Union (UCU) until rhetoric comes at a price and that free 2009 and was STUC President in 2002. expression can be irresponsible and His first book of poetry is reviewed on dangerous when the consequences p27 in this issue. are ignored. But he also concludes that ‘the elimination of harmful rhetoric protests the well-being of some in the short term, but there is no evidence that it eliminates the darkness behind the words’. Sean Sheehan writes for The Irish Times, LensCulture and The Eye of Photography. 30 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 VLADIMIR McTAVISH’S Kick up the Tabloids

he problem with having to file Secretary, there could be a domino Amber List before most Brits arriving copy over a week in advance effect and he himself could be the in Mallorca have had enough time to Tof publication day means that next to go. In the words of the old order their first pints of San Miguel. sometimes what I write in this column joke, he is scared that his government Of course, by the time you read this, can be superseded by events. So, could end up being like a piece of Ikea the UK may be at war with Russia - I have to choose between voicing furniture: one loose screw and the which would prove Boris Johnson’s outdated opinions or making wild whole cabinet falls down. biggest challenge in office so far. But speculative predictions. Or both. So, Basically, the whole scandal could have he has the weapons to deal with. I’m going with the wildly speculative been averted if Matt Hancock had He could put Black Sea resorts onto this time around. changed his last name to ‘Handjob’ the Green List, so all the same Brits By the time you read this, Matt and kept his cock in his pants until 21 move their holidays to Sochi. Then a Hancock will have resigned or been June, when all restrictions were to week later move Russia’s status up to handed his P45. And the very minute be lifted, and it would be completely Amber, leaving the Russian authorities I typed that sentence, he had quit. I legal to get your end away in the to deal with thousands of angry, fully expected him to still be hanging broom cupboard or on top of the disgruntled, drunk, sunburned Daily on by his fingertips, still receiving photocopier. However, as it turned Express readers. Or, he could send Johnson’s full backing, with the PM out Freedom Day was postponed until the newly unemployed Matt Hancock doubtless trotting out his familiar 19 July, so I guess the ‘poor man’ just to Moscow as a special health envoy. mantra that ‘the matter is now closed’. couldn’t hold out for that extra month. Sounds like a win-win situation. Hancock had already survived several The relaxing of all restrictions in Vladimir McTavish will be performing scandals that would have prompted England may have been put back by at the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe with any politician with integrity to fall on four weeks, but it appears no-one told his solo show ‘2020 Re-Vision - A their sword. Let’s recall: from the utter the Tartan Army about this. We all Comedy Review of The Year That Was failure to source enough PPE for the saw the scenes on our TVs of Scotland Cancelled’. Time, date and venue to be NHS, to the abysmal fiasco of track fans flooding the streets of London, confirmed. Details will be advertised and trace, to over 125,000 deaths on packed like sardines onto EasyJet nearer the time on his Facebook page his watch as Health Secretary, to the flights, drinking the city dry and then https://www.facebook.com/Vlad- doling out of government contacts buying massive carry-outs in the hope McTavish-Comedy to friends and family members. they might see the game despite Somehow, he managed to survive, like having neither tickets to Wembley a cockroach emerging from the rubble nor guaranteed seats to watch it on of a nuclear war. And, if we are to telly in a pub. The impromptu street believe Dominic Cummings, Johnson parties, celebrated a nil-nil draw as the reckoned back in March 2020 that greatest victory in Scotland’s history. Hancock was ‘fucking useless’. Sadly, after that 23-year wait, the Remembering the So having screwed over the whole dream ended in the same predictable country, it should come as no surprise disappointment. All Scotland is UCS work-in that Hancock would end up screwing going to take away from the Euros Celebrate the 50th anniversary his aide. Of course, the sexual is a potential new strain of the virus of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders’ relationship is not the scandal that caused by 20,000 idiots getting pissed, work-in and Jimmy Reid with a it used to be – certainly not in the hugging each other and generally new song, sung to the tune of post-pandemic world. The scandal was behaving like, er, football fans. Watch the Wellerman sea shanty, and a that he breached guidelines for social out for ‘The Wembley Variant’ or lament read by various members distancing in the workplace. And I ‘The Gamma Variant Thought to Have of the U3A: https://www.youtube. admit I actually have some sympathy Originated at Kings Cross Station’. com/watch?v=uJ5LBPGpLTI&ab_ for the ‘poor man’, as the Queen Malta and The Balearic Islands were channel=u3AGlasgowWestEnd calls him. It must be bloody difficult added to the UK’s Green List at the shagging a work colleague while end of June. However, after floods of The film and song were produced staying two metres apart. After all, unvaccinated British tourists descend by the Glasgow West End and Matt Hancock may be a massive prick, on these Mediterranean hotspots Paisley U3A (University of the but that doesn’t mean that he has one Third Age) Local History Research taking a Greek alphabet’s worth of of similar size. Project. Alan Dickson wrote the variants with them, it’s reasonable to song and lament. Our thanks are So, why was Johnson so keen to stand assume that infection rates will soar. to him for explaining the rationale by him? I’m guessing the PM was By the time you read this, the chances for doing this at the end of the film. worried that if he sacked the Health are that they will be put back onto the 31 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021 1912 Scotrail.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2019 11:53 Page 1

ASLEF For train drivers, trade unions & the Labour Party since 1880

ScotRail is failing to deliver for the people of Scotland. The performance of Abellio has been truly terrible. The company has failed to recruit enough drivers, is continually skipping stations, does not have enough rolling stock, has used HSTs that have not been refurbished, and has a history of poor industrial relations. But we don’t want to replace one failing private train operator with another because the model is broken. It is clear to everyone – to businesses as well as passengers, and to everyone who works in the rail industry – that privatisation has failed. The Tories privatised our railways and the SNP refuses to bring our services back into public ownership. But it’s time to stand up for Scotland and run our railway as a public service, not as a vehicle to make a private profit.

Mick Whelan, general secretary Dave Calfe, president Kevin Lindsay, ASLEF’s organiser in Scotland

STUC 2018_Layout 1 09/01/2019 10:04 Page 1 Britain’s specialist transport union Campaigning for workers in the rail, maritime, offshore/energy, bus and road freight sectors

NATIONALISE SCOTRAIL

www.rmt.org.uk General Secretary: Mick Cash President: Michelle Rodgers 32 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 124 July/August 2021