ScottishLeft Review Issue 105 May/June 2018 - £2.00

1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 ASLEF CALLS FOR AN INTEGRATED, PUBLICLY OWNED, ACCOUNTABLE RAILWAY FOR SCOTLAND (which used to be the SNP’s position – before they became the government!)

Mick Whelan Tosh McDonald Kevin Lindsay General Secretary President Scottish O cer

LRD TUC Sept15_Layout 1ASLEF 10/07/2015 the 14:09 train Page 1 drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk FIGHT ANTI-UNION LAWS

www.rmt.org.uk

General Secretary: Mick Cash President President: PSeaneter P iHoylenkney

2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 feedback

comment Horses for courses

hy is the Scottish Left Review rather attitudes and behaviours. become dominant but occupations celebrating and critiquing rather than trades are more important In the relationship between capital, the British Trades Union now where there is still skilled work. labour and the state under capitalism, W th Congress (TUC) on its 150 anniversary? And, of course, there has been a general there has often been cooperation as Notwithstanding the foundation of our rise on unskilled or deskilled work. For much as there has been conflict. Indeed, own Scottish Trades Union Congress similar reasons of fact and not fiction, there has often been more cooperation in 1897 and the Scottish Left Review’s Scottish Left Reviewnever uses the than many of us would have liked there annual coverage of its congresses in reviewsnomenclature, United Kingdom. We are to have been, given the asymmetry each March-April edition, it is because citizens not subjects, and are not united of interests between capital and we believe that workers’ solidarity in a common ideology and identity labour. Capital, through its managers of interest and action across borders under a monarchy. and executives, has not only the right is a vital part of a wider Scottish to manage – in law, by conventional In the themed articles on the TUC, perspective. This should be a truism morality and through power relations – we have a range of different subjects for any union member when pitted but it also has the resources and time to covered from an array of different against employers and their neo-liberal do so. Labour, by contrast, has to do its perspectives – see, for example, the version of capitalism, be they a Labour, day job of working for a living and then contrasting emphases of Jim Phillips, Green or SNP supporter. Of course, - in its own time - gather together to Roger Seifert and Ralph Darlington. quite how this solidarity of interest and create and sustain its own organisations Despite the differing standpoints, we action does then manifests itself - and should recognize the benefit of unions to look after its collective interests. should manifest itself – is a matter for not having divided forms of organization There is the double bind. debate and dialogue for there is no one at the peak level as in common in true way. Opponents of independence Historically, these organisations were France, Spain and Italy. But this also decry supporters of independence for called trade unions. Although in law means we should maybe be looking for a allegedly spurning cross-border class and legislation, unions are still referred more robust and effective form of peak solidarity by creating divisions between to as trade unions, they are no longer organization in the form of the TUC. But workers north and south of the border. so. They have long since stopped the rider to this must be that though In making this charge, they forget that being trade unions or even unions of the TUC has its own organization, in the it is not structures that are critical but trades for not only have general unions most important respects, its policies and actions are determined by its affiliates. ScottishLeftReview In equal measure, the TUC and its Issue 105 May/June 2018 affiliates are to be held responsible for what it does and does not do. Together, they are to be held responsible for the Contents fall in overall union membership, power Horses for courses – editorial comment ...... 3 and influence. Changing the world of work for good Frances O’Grady ...... 4 150 years of changing the world of work for the better Melanie Simms ...... 6 2018 is not just an anniversary for the Time to rethink union organizing Jane Holgate...... 9 TUC. It is also one for PCS being twenty The historic purpose of the TUC Roger Seifert ...... 11 years young and UNISON being twenty Limits of TUC support for industrial disputes Ralph Darlington ...... 13 five years young. And, then there is the Democracy and trade unionism: 150 years of the TUC Jim Phillips ...... 15 fiftieth anniversary of 1968. It stands out Does Labour need to talk about anti-Semitism? Sarah Glynn ...... 16 as the epitome of radical movements Spain 0, Scotland 1 (half-time score) Peter Lomas ...... 18 - of black people, students, workers, Getting the best out of Brexit Pauline Bryan ...... 19 women, gays and lesbians - fighting for National self-determination today Neil Davidson ...... 20 their collective interests. Going further Why the British working class should support Scottish independence Fraser Coats ...... 22 back, the FBU was founded in 1918. But Carillion collapse highlights need to tame the power of corporations and elites Prem Sikka ...... 23 2018 is also an anniversary for the loss Gun control – where east could meet west Victor Grossman ...... 24 of fighters – one obvious one would be Book and film reviews –Jackie Bergson, Susan Clark, Findlay Smith, Sean Sheehan, Donald McCormack ...... 26 Red Clydesider, Harry McShane, in 1988. Kick up the tabloids – Vladimir McTavish...... 30 But that can be balanced out by the birth of Karl Marx in 1818.

3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Changing the world of work for good Frances O’Grady says the TUC is prepared to roll up its sleeves to fight for workers’ futures n the TUC’s 150th anniversary, But for too many workers, unions One of the recent successes of which it is tempting to argue that the are not part of that daily life. Union I am most proud is the evolution of Olow paid, zero hours working membership in Scotland is the second the union role in supporting members’ lives of young trade unionists in highest in the nations of Britain and learning and progression. Unions McDonalds and TGI Friday’s are not so the English regions, after Wales, but have always helped working people very different to those of nineteenth even here density is falling – down get a second chance to learn. In century match women and dockers. by almost ten per cent between 1903, we helped found the Workers’ The treatment of labour as a mere 1995 and 2016. Fewer private sector Educational Association, educating commodity - less than human and the workers and young workers are joining generations of workers who left school cheaper the better - is a familiar story unions. In the private sector, only 1 in their early teens. More recently, we throughout our history. in 7 workers are union members, and set up Unionlearn, which, along with many never come into contact with a But, despite the parallels, it would be Scottish Union Learning, helps more union. Two-fifths of union members a mistake to gloss over how capital than 220,000 people a year access are over 50 years old and less than a has radically changed over the last new skills and training through their quarter are under 35. century and a half - not least because unions. the contemporary challenge for When we’ve asked about why people This experience, and the research we unions is to match that pace and scale join unions, the answer is often simply have done since 2016, has shown us of change. If we’re going to organise that somebody asked. But unless we that the best way to support and build the ‘new working class’, then we must turn the tide of declining membership trust with young workers is to improve change too. We’ve done this before. we risk being invisible to a new their wellbeing at work immediately, generation of young workers. Throughout our history we have and help to put them on a path to a engaged with the world of work as it That’s why in our anniversary year we more fulfilling working life through is, shaping new technologies and ways want not only to celebrate our history progression and joining a union. of working to the benefit of working but also to focus our attention on the We know that the transformational people. And we’ve reached out to future too. Over the past two years, benefits of trade unionism are those working in new jobs and in new we have committed to detailed and delivered when workers are part of a ways of working – with the consistent innovative research into the lives, collective bargaining unit. So the goal aim of organising workers and driving interests and motivations of young of our innovation programme is to up the quality of work and quality of workers. We have taken the time to find a model of collective organising life for our members, their families ask them what they want from their at work that engages young core and communities. And that task has working lives, and what we can do to workers – and that unions or the never been more vital than at a time change it for the better. union movement can adopt, to bring when Facebook, Google and the The STUC’s Better than Zero campaign them into our fold. We’ll be launching other tech giants dominate the global has brilliantly exposed the insecurity our new initiative to coincide with corporate wealth league, and whose faced by so many young workers in our anniversary, and I’m delighted near monopoly of big data poses a Scotland, namely, being at the sharp that we’ve been able to build on threat to not only union bargaining end of low pay and modern insecure strong support from affiliates for an power but popular democracy too. work patterns. Using practical support innovative new approach. Today, some 6m people are members for young workers, the campaign has As well as launching this flagship of unions. We represent the largest, engaged many who would otherwise project, we also want to use the democratic vehicle for progressive have been isolated in today’s anniversary to show the threads that change in Britain’s. We’re increasingly fragmented world of work. These link our past, present and future diverse, and more than half of union issues came up time and time again in struggles and successes. We are using members are women. In Scotland, the our work, too. While many would like a collection of 150 real stories to tell STUC has been pivotal in establishing to progress in their careers, workers the overarching story of the TUC - and meaningful social dialogue and in low-paid industries tend to have show how standing up for working the Fair Work Convention. And the few opportunities to develop skills, people is more relevant than ever historical achievements we’ll be gain a higher salary and increase job today. celebrating in our 150th anniversary satisfaction. The barriers to young year – on Saturday 2 June 2018 - sit workers improving their lives at work The TUC150 collection presents a alongside contemporary wins on are structural rather than individual. set of union stories from the last pay, equality, health and safety and Supporting young workers to gain the 150 years. It’s not a history of trade learning, and the positive material confidence to organise collectively unionism. Nor is it a definitive list difference we make to working lives, could help tackle some of these of the great women and men of day in and day out. barriers. our movement. Some are pioneers, 4 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 stepping out from the cosy consensus changed, the TUC’s mission remains fought for and not as the 51st state of of their day. Many are ground- the same: standing up for working President Trump’s obscenely unequal breaking activists. Some did the work women and men, and making sure America. I’m committed to ensuring that resulted in the rights we have their voices are heard. We’re needed the TUC does all it can to deliver a today and resulted in the institutions more than ever to make sure that Brexit that works for working people. that protect working people, like the every job is a decent job and everyone But more than that, that we play our NHS. at work is treated with respect. part in fundamentally reshaping the British economy so that it truly does Some stories tell of trade unionists We’ll continue to do this at every level work for all. living in extraordinary times – and – in workplaces, in the regions and the rising to the challenge of their era. nations of Britain, nationally, in Europe Frances O’Grady is General Secretary Pioneers like Scottish suffragist and and working in partnership with our of the TUC. She is its first woman trade unionist, Mary McArthur, who sister union movements around the general secretary. Prior to this, she almost a century before it became globe. worked for the Transport and General Workers’ Union before becoming the law championed a national minimum We’ll do this in workplaces, building a TUC Campaigns Secretary in 1994, wage. And like Emma Paterson, who in strong and growing union movement, founding the TUC Organising Academy the 1870s set out to establish a union underpinned by trained, confident in 1997 and being elected as the TUC in every job in which women worked. reps. Across Britain, we want winning Deputy General Secretary in 2003. Following in her footsteps today for workers, but also working with She became TUC General Secretary in are members like former fire fighter a revitalised Labour Party to help 2013. Wendy Miller who, when she spotted ensure that the political voice we a fire hazard in the Aberdeenshire established over 100 years ago has supermarket she now works in, the opportunity to deliver the worker See https://tuc150.tuc.org.uk/ for decided to put her skills to good use as friendly agenda set out in that 2017 stories about the likes of Satnam Ner a health and safety rep. manifesto. https://tuc150.tuc.org.uk/stories/ Today, young workers like Shen And in Europe too. Because, as we satnam-singh-ner/ Batmaz and Nesa Kelmendi are taking face the future, our immediate task on the global might of corporates is to work together to tackle the like McDonald’s and Picturehouse great political challenge of our time, Cinemas to demand a living wage. Britain’s exit from And at Sports Direct, the workers are s the EU. Brexit L H Scottish Labour History Society steadily growing their union, after has laid bare how s years of campaigning that has already in a globalised Annual Subscriptions: seen them win higher wages for the economy it is even staff, get agency workers the right to more important Individual £15 permanent jobs, and drag the business that we cooperate owner to Parliament to explain across borders and Unwaged £10 himself. They follow in the footsteps of align ourselves Organisation £40 people like Joseph Williams who was with a trading 21 when he founded the Musicians’ bloc that shares FREE with your subscription - Union and Rosie Hackett who was our values. Put Scottish Labour History Journal, No. 52 19 when she organised 3,000 Jacob’s simply, given the Biscuits workers to strike. growing global concentration PLUS our new publication - From our earliest days, unions have Cowie Miners, Polmaise Colliery challenged stigma and prejudice. As of capital, if nationalism is and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike Britain has changed, unions have the answer we changed too. Sometimes we’ve had are probably to challenge our own members’ To SUBSCRIBE, contact: asking the wrong prejudices – but over time we S Maclennan, SLHS, question. So, while became champions of equality. Our 64 Terregles Avenue, the Single Market stories include immediate STUC past- Glasgow, is far from perfect, President Satnam Ner, who went G41 4LX on balance, it’s from being the only BAME worker clear where on his site in Rosyth, to working with [email protected] working people’s his employer to improve diversity in best interests hiring and running training courses for s lie - with a model workers from BAME backgrounds. that enshrines the L H These stories 150 years on from our voice and rights at s founding show that, while much has work that unions 5 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 150 years of changing the world of work for the better Melanie Simms looks at the challenges for the TUC as it is 150 years young s the Trades Union their recruitment and organising taking the lead on speaking to and for Congress (TUC) celebrates activities. This kind of activity can workers more generally. th fall by the wayside in the day-to- its 150 anniversary, it is The union movement also faces A day routines of bargaining and an opportunity to reflect on the the challenge that changes to the representing members. So providing challenges it faces as the peak- structure of the labour market bring space and support to develop level representative body of unions in terms of effective organising activities to promote long-term in Britain. The TUC’s strapline is and representation. Encouraging organising objectives has been ‘changing the world of work for affiliate unions to move beyond their crucial. These initiatives seek to good’. Unlike many straplines, that existing membership boundaries to build expertise and engagement one neatly captures some of the organise and recruit new groups is around the labour movement challenges facing the organisation. crucially important. Unions in Britain towards common objectives that The TUC has the role of bringing have faced fundamental changes can be difficult for individual together 49 unions representing in the labour market meaning unions to invest in. In each case, members in sectors as diverse as that membership is increasingly leadership has been demonstrated transport, health, and finance. concentrated in the public sector by launching campaigns, providing Almost inevitably, uniting such where density is over 50%, as access to training and deploying a broad membership base is compared with around 13% in the - the considerable weight of research challenging. Bringing them together far larger - private sector. One issue evidence and campaign staff to link to facilitate change is even more resulting directly from the dominance together and support initiatives that so. And changing anything as broad of public trade unionism is that large were often happening in a patchy as ‘the world of work’ is nearly scale job losses in the public sector way. impossible. Yet it is an important and have directly led to a decline in union admirable objective and one that One of the advantages of having density as union members have the organisation has consistently a single peak level organisation either moved out of the workforce championed. Looking to the future, representing unions is that there or into non-union jobs. Rebuilding some long-standing challenges to is a manifest effort to build membership and activism in that achieving those objectives remain, common interest across sectors and context is inevitably difficult and will and new ones are emerging. occupations. In other countries, it require long-term action and co- A common misunderstanding about is common for unions to be divided ordination. in their representational bodies TUC leaders is that they exercise Changing labour markets also present between sectors or political positions. some kind of direct control over the difficulty that some groups of Having a single representative body affiliate unions. It would be hard to workers are far more likely than brings strength in unity but also find a structure less likely to produce others to find themselves in sectors means that the issues on which such that outcome. Rather, the role is one where unions have low levels of a diverse group of unions can find a of co-ordination and representation membership. A clear manifestation common voice can be limited. on common issues. TUC policy is of that is that young workers are decided through structures where A central challenge is to unite disproportionately working in the affiliates propose, debate and vote what can be very diverse interests, private sector in areas such as on motions rather than instructions namely, between different unions, hospitality and retail which have to affiliates to adopt particular and also between union members very low rates of unionisation. As positions. This opens opportunities and workers more generally. Building a result, it is increasingly rare for for leadership around common issues alliances between unions can require young people to experience union and it is here that the TUC is probably considerable effort to emphasise the representation in their early working most successful in its campaign long-term interests of all unions in lives. The challenges of organising activities. A good example was the building stronger workplace rights in those sectors which comprise speedy and high-profile mobilisation that cover all workers. Similarly, the often small, geographically-dispersed of both legal and campaign resources TUC is in the advantageous position workplaces is huge and requires in responses to the Trade Union Act to focus on building solidarities significant investment of time, 2016. between union members and money and expertise. In addition, Similarly, the TUC has shown workers more generally. With union we know that workers who engage considerable leadership over membership hovering at around only with unions early in their working the past 20 years in encouraging 23% of the workforce, it is crucially lives are far more likely to continue affiliate unions to strengthen important that there is someone to be involved. So those challenges 6 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 risk structuring future patterns of to a far wider debate about the about poor working conditions in exclusion from unions which may be effects of poor quality work on other areas of the ‘gig economy’ and a difficult to overcome in future. aspects of workers’ lives which can be general downgrading of wages, difficult for individual unions to lead. terms and conditions, particularly Addressing these challenges requires since the Great Financial Crisis of strategic planning and concerted That said, there is scope to push 2007. This provides space for many action. The TUC is often better this approach further. There is good commentators, including the TUC positioned than individual unions evidence that the quality of jobs and individual unions, to intervene in to lead initiatives that require is reducing in many sectors and debates about the future of work and occupations and there can be a fundamental rethinking of objectives the regulation of labour standards tendency in public debate to see job or that go beyond core workplace across the economy as part of a wider quality as a race to the bottom: ‘why concerns. Examples such as initiatives public discourse of resistance and should they have good pensions, to train large numbers of organisers discontent. across the union movement show when we don’t?’ Paying attention to that as a peak level representative building solidarities not only between The challenges facing the TUC body, the TUC can create space and unions, but between unionised and and the labour movement in practical support to facilitate action. un-unionised workers is an important general are considerable, but not role for the TUC and is necessary to insurmountable. Building solidarities Central to the activities of the rebuilding a narrative that labour within the labour movement and TUC in addressing some of these is valued and should be rewarded across the workforce in general is challenges has been a focus on accordingly. a top priority. Further investment building solidarities between very in organising and recruitment is diverse groups of workers. The TUC Of course, one of the major changes also crucial in order to address the is well positioned to contribute since 2015 has been a re-emphasis challenges of changing membership to wider debates and campaigns of the important links between the patterns associated with structural about the world of work and has union movement and Labour. Since changes in the labour market. successfully done so through, for the election of Jeremy Corbyn, there And there are good reasons to be example, identifying the challenges has been a reinvigorated enthusiasm optimistic. There has been a change of recruiting and representing young for acknowledgement of the role the in the political direction, at least workers as one of the three priority union movement plays in funding within the Labour Party, and the areas for 2018. Those campaigns aim the Party and broad questions about TUC and affiliate unions are well to push affiliate unions to co-ordinate the policy direction. What is clear positioned to take advantage of activity that is already taking place is that workers’ rights are central what seems to be a growing public and to learn from each other as they to the current political agenda dissatisfaction with deteriorating attempt to reach out both to young within the Labour Party and there is working conditions. In that context, workers in unionised workplaces, considerable opportunity to influence it is clear there will continue to be and to young workers in parts of the the future direction of policy. There is an important role for a co-ordinated labour market that are much more undoubtedly a role for the TUC in co- voice highlighting both problems at difficult to organise. Importantly, ordinating a practical policy response work and future solutions. part of the approach has been to that is more than simply a ‘wish list’, emphasise that the issues of concern and the likely pause before the next to a lot of young workers go far general election gives time to work Melanie Simms is Professor of Work beyond the workplace. Integrating through a feasible program to reform and Employment at the University of labour standards in Britain. issues housing and mental health Glasgow helps reach out beyond existing There is also evidence of growing workplace representation and leads concern in wider public discourse

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the TUC

7 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 SLR_ad_bleed&crops_Apr18.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2018 08:23 Page 1

Congratulations to the TUC for 150 years of representing Britain’s workers. Sally Hunt, UCU General Secretary & TUC President

Workers’ pay, Workers’ participation, Workers’ power PCS sends solidarity greetings to the TUC on their 150th anniversary

Mark Serwotka Janice Godrich Lynn Henderson General Secretary President National Officer

Public and Commercial Services Union | pcs.org.uk

8 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Time to rethink union organising Jane Holgate reflects on strategy and tactics of organising in a changing labour market

hen the TUC was founded do unions need to do differently and campaign to make a difference in their 150 years ago workers what can we learn from other unions localities. were organising into and social movements in terms of W The focus of activity has been broadly trades unions in order to improve renewal and revitalisation? the same across the country. People their working and living conditions One way would be to spread the are angered about austerity and and, in some ways––although not in organising net much wider than the especially welfare cuts––the attacks others––not much has changed. The workplace––and at the same time on disability benefits, the ‘bedroom majority of workers today, as then, are to have a clearer understanding of tax’, benefit sanctions. UC members not members of unions, and work is the distinction between recruitment, have set up peer support groups, becoming increasingly precarious in mobilising and organising. In many training, and advice sessions to help many parts of the labour market, as it unions, these things––although claimants facing sanctions, and have was in the late 1800s. different––are conflated and assumed been successful in challenging these The 1970s was the high point of trade to be ‘organising’, but they have very at appeals. Other community activities unionism in Britain, when there were different impacts. More clarity in have been around the sell-off of 13.5 million workers in membership this regard might help unions adopt social housing, particularly in London; and union density was 57%. At that a deeper and more sustainable ethical procurement and living wage time, workers had the confidence that organising agenda. campaigns; domestic violence; high levels of collectivism provided the organising and supporting food banks In recent years, we have seen a strength to challenge employers and for people experiencing crisis; removal growing interest from unions in the win concessions––because workers of disabled passes on public transport, notion of ‘community organising’ were organised as a class, for itself. If as well as holding Unite publicity stalls where the places and spaces in workers today were organised at the at community events. And all this is which workers live as well as work same level of union density as they done locally helping to build strong are utilised to broaden the terrain were in 1980 there would be 18.4 bonds and to highlight the social upon which unions operate. To some million workers in unions. Yet despite justice nature of trade unionism. extent we have seen some unions the ‘turn to organising’ in the late operating in this way and achieving Unite Community members have also 1990s to offset decades of decline excellent results––albeit at a relatively supported the industrial members and union density is, in 2018, just 23% and small scale as yet. For example, in initiated organising campaigns. They around 6.2m members. 2011, Unite the union opened up have been instrumental in highlighting The establishment of the TUC’s its membership to people not in the issue of zero hour contracts and Organising Academy in 1998 marked a paid employment such as students, targeting restaurant chains in a ‘Fair recognition that unions needed to be retirees, claimants and carers. In Tips’ campaign. By targeting Sports pro-active in order to increase density part, this initiative is recognition of Direct, a large company using zero- in workplaces where unions had the loss of power in the workplace hour contracts, UC members have already had a presence, but crucially and an attempt to re-create an ‘old’ not only gained huge press coverage there needed to be expansion into form of trade unionism where unions of this issue by co-ordinated action un-organised workplaces and sectors were once part of the community as at over 40 shops across Britain and where density was very low or non- well as the workplace. Since then, attending the company’s AGM to existent. This was to be achieved by a Unite Community members (as they ask questions, but their continuing focus on ‘organising’––providing union are called) have formed 120 union protests have also resulted in the staff and lay representatives with branches in their local communities billionaire founder of the company the skills and tools to teach workers and 16,000 members have been being forced to face a committee in about how to effect change and gain recruited. As one senior staff member parliament over working conditions concessions and improvements at reported, ‘our objective, I suppose, at the company. UC members have work through worker representation, is to collectivise our communities supported industrial members by power, leverage and collective and link our community activity with attending picket lines and doing bargaining. The ‘organising model’ our industrial activity, so there’s collections for workers out on strike. adopted by the TUC and some no separation between what we This approach widens the purpose affiliate unions wasn’t without some do at work and what we do in our of trade unionism to advance the important successes––and things community’. The Unite Community interests of the working-class as a would have been dire if this work (UC) members that have joined the whole––whether or not individuals hadn’t taken place––but overall the union have done so for a variety of are, indeed, working–– and as such approach has been limited in its reasons, but for most it has been the has the potential to broaden the effectiveness. As such, it’s time for a desire to be politically active (outside ideology of trade unionism from its rethink of strategy and tactics. What of party politics) and to be able to narrow economistic focus to being

9 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 more like a social movement. organising strategies to build power are still constrained structurally and organisationally by their past (and Similarly, a number of smaller unions, and to attract the widest range of including the Bakers, Food and Allied participants. Jane McAlevey, an the present way that they operate). Workers Union, and the non-TUC advocate of this approach, has said, This creates obstacles to the type of affiliated unions, United Voices of the ‘the pressing concerns that bear down organisational learning and power World, and the Independent Workers on most workers today are not divided analysis necessary for the type of of Great Britain, have adopted a into two neat piles, only one of which deep organising innovation that is more ‘in your face’ direct action need be of concern to the union, while necessary for significant renewal and approach to organising workers, the other is divided up among a dozen revitalisation. which has specifically attracted young single-issue groups, none of which has What’s required is a move away from workers and migrant workers into the union’s collective strength.’ Many the institutional sclerosis that has held membership and activity. In these workers have already made these back unions for the last few decades cases, the unions have recognised connections, and this is an area that and the TUC could maybe assist that they are, at the moment, unable unions could profitably tap into should with this. To effect transformative to win using industrial muscle as the they reconfigure themselves to be a change requires leaders that are able sectors in which they are organising wider social movement. to develop strategic capacity and have extremely low union densities. To meet the challenges faced by innovation among staff and the wider As such, the organising approach is to neoliberalism, the changing nature union membership. This may require name, shame and persistently disrupt of the labour market, the growth of unions to rethink the way that they until their demands are met––and this the gig economy, as well as the loss operate and be open to doing thing is proving to be very effective as well of power in the union movement, radically different. A transformative as raising the profile of unions among there needs to be a transformation leadership programme facilitated by these under-represented groups in the in organising practice. There’s a need the TUC could provide the space for labour movement. for much more than an adoption of radical rethinking of the future of The union movement in Britain a laundry list of organising tactics, or trade unionism. The early pioneers could also perhaps learn organising the creation of adjuncts to traditional of the union movement had a vision tactics from living wage campaigns, union practice. What is required is in the 1800s that led to the birth which have been highly successful rethinking of the structures of power of trade unionism, and it’s now our in increasing the wages of hundreds in society (not just in the industrial responsibility to today’s workers to of thousands of workers. The arena) and what sort of tactics are continue to take that forward, but this combination of bringing together needed to organise around these in won’t happen without some serious communities, including faith the most effective way. consideration of how to organise our groups, schools, and NGOs, to way out of the decline that we have assert moral pressure on companies There’s a need for the building of found ourselves in for the last four paying low wages, and at the same new alliances to widen the scope decades. time developing leaders in these of union activity that can bring in communities to strengthen their own under-represented members, but institutions, helps to build a better further, it requires a deep internal Jane Holgate is Professor of Work organised civil society that is able to focus on how to make this happen. and Employment Relations at the assert its power collectively. Unfortunately, many unions today University of Leeds If unions were able to rethink what it is to be a ‘worker’ today, they then might be more successful in not only reaching out to new groups and those currently outside the union movement, but also to consider how First notification – Sixth Jimmy Reid annual lecture, Thurs 27 Sept 2018 the identity of workers, for example, The Foundation is pleased to announce that its 2018 annual lecture will be given by Frances in relation to ethnicity, class, gender, O’Grady, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress with over 5m affiliated members, sexuality, disability, affects their lived on Thursday 27 September 2018 in the Banqueting Hall of the Glasgow City Chambers. experience. One approach to dealing The subject of the lecture concerns whether the Scandinavian system of social democracy with these issues it to adopt ‘whole represents a desirable model for Britain to follow after Brexit in March 2019. worker’ organising that understands Lynn Henderson, national officer for the Public and Commercial Services’ (PCS) Union, that workers’ lives–– including the will chair the event. She is depute convenor of the Jimmy Reid Foundation and the current oppression and discrimination they President of the Scottish Trades Union Congress. experience––does not end at the The lecture will be preceded by a civic reception given by the Lord Provost of Glasgow and workplace door. People’s lives are followed by a Q&A format. intersectional and are embedded Details about how to acquire tickets, the starting time and solidarity stalls on the night will be in a wide range of social networks forthcoming. which can be utilised in deep 10 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 The historic purpose of the TUC Despite rogue meanderings, Roger Seifert says the TUC has done what it says on its tin

he TUC leadership should not publicity, some co-ordination, and most militant left, and that the TUC leaders be judged just on its (in)action frequently referenced by insiders … (Bevin and Citrine) fought to reduce Tat major flashpoints of labour the unions face to government and the such communist-inspired activity and movement history. It has also to be population. that the TUC could and should be used appreciated in terms of the daily to stop any challenge to state power by efforts to shape and articulate working- Over many decades the TUC was the organised labour movement. They class interests, and in the importance depicted as a cart horse in political supported the attacks on trades councils of bearing witness to workplace cartoons – steady, large, cumbersome in the 1950s and the witch hunts against exploitation that is manifest at the with strong limbs and a weak brain. Its communists and fellow travellers. They annual conference. institutional size representing survival of applauded pluralist consensus in the this stubborn breed, but frequently the national interest, and if we fast forward The TUC appears throughout its 150- lampoonists showed a backward looking and take on the logic of their arguments year history to be less than the sum of and shy-of-change animal. the right apologists for TUC policy also its parts. At many critical moments in backed incomes policies in the 1970s, the history of the labour movement the This article is neither a historical failed to support the NUM in the 1980s, TUC has been found wanting, but in so account of the TUC in action nor an and retreated in the face of the post- saying it is important to avoid the trap of attempt to denigrate its remarkable Thatcher onslaught in the 1990s. reification. So TUC decisions are made achievements. If the TUC is to be judged by delegates to Congress and acted by its (in)action in terms of working In contrast Vic Allen in Socialist Register upon by the members of the General class struggle and key events then it in 1968 noted with approval that Council with advice from its most senior has rarely risen to the occasion, never the TUC was the longest surviving full-time officials (general and deputy really sought to challenge the dominant union centre in the world, and that general secretaries). Powerful union capitalist system, and the dominant ‘the characteristics of the TUC are leaders heading up large and influential pluralist ideology of compromise and derived from those of the unions unions of trades have deep pockets and conciliation. In part this is due to its own which comprise it’ (p231). This in turn large voices. But size is not everything, institutional limitations, in part it reflects reflects the composition of the working and policy has been made on other the majority view of the member class and its industrial structure. The grounds such as political and ideological unions, and in part it is a creature of the focus must be on relations with the disposition and alignment. This is in part times in which its subsists. government for it acts as a pressure due to the long-standing contradictions group for labour. Most of the time it inside the TUC: that it is not powerful But it can be judged in other ways as has campaigned on issues recognisable enough to lead, and that affiliates are a central part of the working-class across the 150 years for all workers – not bound by TUC policies. movement that has survived when pay and pensions, hours and holidays, others fell away. In this sense, it has health and safety, equality and dignity, Its tendency to concentration been important and successful in worker and union rights, and protection and centralisation as large unions two ways: first in terms of defining from arbitrary management. It does increasingly dominate both the and refining working class interests not challenge property rights, the wider movement and the TUC is an at any time – as both facilitating capitalist system, or the legitimacy of institutional expression of class unity and contributing to the debate; and government. It rarely moves on such and solidarity. As such it appears to be secondly, that the annual conference issues, although in 1967 it did pass a more involved in national debates and itself allows the expression of the views motion at conference for more public decisions and appears to have some of thousands of workers caught up in ownership and planning. This echoed influence over government. But this desperate workplace struggles and that the radical congress of 1925 preparing appearance is deceptive despite the itself is part of the process of developing the way for the General Strike, but as occasional breakthrough. In reality, its class consciousness. Allen suggests ‘these moments pass all influence over government has waxed too quickly into moods of acquiescence and waned, but since the 1980s has In 1968, on its hundredth birthday, or cynicism of false optimism’ (p235). been in sharp decline. there were celebrations. Lovell and Roberts in their A Short History of Even in its most radical moments the result tends to be a very British ‘strongly The TUC comes into the public eye the TUC (MacMillan, 1968, p7) noted worded letter’. Critically, the TUC during major events, usually involving from a right-wing labour perspective leadership has been guilty of both sins the government of the day, industrial that: ‘the TUC is much more than an of commission (anti-communist witch action, and large-scale campaigns annual parliament of labour; it is a hunts, support for incomes policies, backed up with demonstrations. Such great national organisation exercising attacks on trades councils) and the events frequently reflect the ebb and a powerful and continuous influence sins of omission (weak support for the flow of the wider class struggle in which on governments, employers and public miners in the 1980s, and the roaring the TUC plays a role – neither a leading opinion that has become a vital element silences during the New Labour years role nor an irrelevant bystander. In in the pluralist system of democracy’. 1997-2010). between these events most of the TUC’s They argued that the 1926 General work remains educational, research, Strike was a disaster made by the The case for the importance of the

11 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 TUC is the case for the future role of in which everyone benefits in contrast British Museum and resembles most unions themselves. Former Transport with the long gone old capitalism that organisational HQs. It is full of busy and General Workers’ Union, general Marx described; or that the role of people, comings and goings, and earnest secretary, Bill Morris, in 1994 provided the labour movement is to be a sword discussions. It mimics in many respects a list of ‘the need for trade unions’: of justice and a shield of hope under the centres of most large unions with low pay and long hours; health and the prevailing system but it is not endless meetings, visitors, calls, press safety; pensions; unfair dismissal; their job to overthrow such a system. releases, full white boards, fading décor, discrimination. And a list of how this is At the same time these apologists and dodgy lifts. Its focus is as a pressure to be done: negotiation and bargaining, also redefine and caricature socialist group with maximum attention paid representation, benefits, campaigns alternatives as unachievable utopian to having its views broadcast and its on laws, and industrial action. He dreams, unworkable, undemocratic, and campaigns noticed. In this regard, the also emphasised the importance of unattractive. ‘bureaucracy’ does an excellent job, international links and a core centre. but hardly functions as an assumed A further sleight of hand conflates alternative centre of power thwarting This need to state and restate common socialism with public ownership and the wishes of its constituent members. working class interests that evolve thereby paves the way for the labour Despite being buffeted by dominate alongside the composition of the class movement to support privatisation, General Council members, the policy as capitalism itself changes is part of reject renationalisation, and become direction is not hard to fathom: all the the creation of a working class identity a low level welfare party – endlessly causes of the day faced by workers that transcends artificially constructed redistributing monies from the poor to across the years and all divides. divisions on the basis of gender, the very poor, from the undeserving to ethnicity, age, occupation, nationality, the deserving poor, and from workers In recent years it has formed coalitions sector, and educational attainment. to capitalists. The Cold War, attacks on against public sector cuts, opposition to Thus, class interests are fought for militants, diatribes against Marxists and anti-union laws, championing equality through unions at the workplace and associated critics of capitalism, all make and dignity at work, outing rogue then become part of the larger debate sense through this particular historical employers, highlighting the need for pay on how these are articulated and lens. rises, environmental protection, and achieved. The TUC forms part of that arguing for decent jobs in the strange The TUC, for most of its history has necessary re-alignment of class interests world of precarious employment, fake played its part in all of this, even going with class consciousness, and however self-employment, agency workers, against strong motions at conference. imperfect in practice, it nonetheless has and the so-called ‘gig economy’ on This is neither a bureaucratic conspiracy a role to play. the fringes of the increasingly fluid nor a simple reflection of the wider labour market. The campaigns have Former TUC general secretary, John mood, but a result of the internal brought together fractious unions, other Monks, for example, in the 1990s contradictions of the organisation itself pressure groups, and increasingly the recognised the relative weakness of the and an integral part of the dialectics of new deal Labour Party. movement but nonetheless strove to working class struggle as a whole. make union issues and working class Its other focus is the annual set piece The attacks and effective dismantling concerns known to government and conference. A marathon set of meetings of trades councils was one of the the wider population. In that sense and motions fought out in fractious lowest points in TUC history. The ban the TUC has most of the time sought committee rooms and factional local on communists from 1941-1944 from to make its voice heard above other pubs, and practising the dark arts of holding office followed by the anti- noises - steadfastly pushing for better fighting over amendments, procedures, communist witch hunts in the 1950s pay and conditions across the board. and agendas. Each year the floor is weakened grass roots organisations, This pragmatism takes several forms: full of delegates backing core issues reduced the capacity of trades councils one is acceptance of positions on based on a series of heart felt tales to operate locally, and stripped them of various state bodies – being embedded of working class working lives. It is political debate and as a result set back in the decision-making process in a wonderful moment when workers order to be heard; secondly, that most various causes decades. In London, for across occupations, regions, and general secretaries accept knighthoods example, delegates to the 1946 trades sectors as well as generations, genders, and peerages on retirement to ensure council ‘now showed constant concern abilities, and ethnicities share their that their support for the status quo lest the policy of wage-freezing while common experiences of exploitation and of British society remains intact; and profits and prices were rising, should alienation. While media focus is on big thirdly, that there is no rocking of the impose the burden of the crisis on name speakers and any ‘controversial’ boat that conventional wisdom states the working people. The Council also polices, the real purpose of the congress that capitalism has delivered more for expressed alarm at the deterioration is to renew vows, restate the importance the working class than socialism ever of relations with the Soviet Union and of unity, and develop cadres – to help will. the increasing dependence of the the working-class become a class of and Government on the United States’. This last point is familiar to those with for itself. In this regard alone the TUC a broad political paint brush: right-wing In this century, the TUC has overseen serves its greater purpose. labour in theory and practice sides a decline in union membership and with capitalism and seeks either to re- influence, and a loss of resources as a invent the nature of capitalism into, for result. Its headquarters remains a fixed Roger Seifert is professor of industrial example, a more worker-friendly system point in London down the road from the relations at Wolverhampton University 12 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Limits of TUC support for industrial disputes Ralph Darlington surveys the divergence of policy and practice in supporting striking workers istorically, the TUC General that have been detrimental to union On the face of it this represented Council’s role in the 1926 members aspirations. a remarkable increase in General General Strike and many other H In its early years, the TUC’s Council powers, with the aspiration significant industrial disputes has been Parliamentary Committee, as its it could be transformed into a subject to accusations of ‘betrayal’ executive was then called, saw its centralised organisation reflected in and ‘sell-outs’, and in more recent main function as of lobbying ministers, the lead up to the 1926 General Strike years they have been criticised for with industrial disputes the concern by Communist Party calls for ‘All Power refusing to organise ‘generalised strike of individual unions over which the to the General Council’. However, action’ against government austerity TUC had no jurisdiction. Only later it still did not have the power to measures. But is such a negative did it slowly venture into collecting ‘call’ strikes in support of workers or portrayal reasonable given the TUC funds for unions involved in major individual unions, but merely ‘invite’ has demonstrated on numerous stoppages, and in 1913 called an and/or coordinate strikes called by occasions its support for many unprecedented special Congress to individual affiliates themselves. So the disputes and willingness to galvanise discuss coordinating British union General Strike had to be sanctioned solidarity by the union movement solidarity for the Dublin lockout, albeit by a conference of the executives generally? it decisively voted against sympathetic of affiliated unions, albeit it then It has done this through public industrial action and condemned Jim effectively allowed the TUC to conduct declarations (recently the #McStrike); Larkin’s alleged ‘unfair’ attacks upon the dispute and take control over encouraging unions’ financial support TUC leaders for acting as ‘apologists negotiations with the government. (during the 1913 Dublin lockout for the shortcomings of the capitalist Moreover, there was an underlying chartering food ships to feed strikers system’. tension in the balance between the and their families); involvement in mobilisation of the resources of the It took the widespread pre-war labour negotiations with employers and movement in support of the miners’ unrest, moves towards industrial government on behalf of unions; union and the intervention of the unionism and the ‘Black Friday’ (April backing solidarity action short of General Council to try to agree a deal 1921) collapse of the Triple Alliance a strike (in the 1972 miners’ strike that would enable it to settle the - all of which underlined the lack of requesting unions not to cross NUM dispute, with the latter becoming effective national coordination to picket lines to prevent movement paramount. Calling off the General assist affiliated unions involved in of coal); and coordinating national Strike based on acceptance of miners’ industrial disputes – to precipitate strike action by the union movement wage cuts and a failure to secure the TUC’s structural reform. In 1921, (April 1925 ‘Black Friday’ embargo reinstatement of strikers was widely its Parliamentary Committee was of coal; May 1926 General Strike; viewed as unconditional surrender replaced by a more representative July 1972 strike against dockers’ and bitter betrayal. and co-ordinating General Council, imprisonment under the Industrial although still without centralising Such an outcome dealt a body blow to Relations Act 1971; May 1973 against powers as individual unions continued radical left-wing aspirations that the Tories’ incomes policy; May 1980 to jealously guard their autonomy TUC General Council should act as a against Tories’ first Employment Bill; and prerogatives. But inspired by ‘General Staff of Labour’. It was not September 1982 in support of health increasing radical left-wing aspirations until the 1970s that the TUC again felt workers’ strike; March 1984 against for the TUC General Council to act as able to request unions to take national banning of unions at GCHQ; and a ‘General Staff of Labour’ - mobilising strike action. In most instances, November 2011 in support of public working class forces in outright this has taken the form of political sector pensions strike). national conflicts with employers and ‘demonstration strikes’ aimed at the Yet arguably while the TUC has often government – the 1924 Congress government, but on each occasion been willing to formally support amended its Standing Orders so that: the TUC has not itself called for strike industrial disputes by individual a) when requested by an affiliated action by the union movement, affiliates, and on occasion even union the TUC was enabled to but only agreed to support and/ coordinate much broader forms intervene if a major stoppage was or coordinate action that individual of strike action across the union threatened to attempt to secure a affiliated unions have themselves movement, it has generally only settlement; and b) if such a dispute agreed to take. And in more recent supported such action in a strictly led to a strike the TUC was required years, notwithstanding Congress controlled and limited fashion which to ‘coordinate industrial action’ and decisions in favour of ‘investigating the on many occasions has had the effect generate moral and material support practicalities of calling a general strike’ of limiting workers’ struggles in ways from the union movement. in protest at austerity, this has not 13 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 been put into practice. members across the country, to TUC’s role in industrial disputes support a ‘one-day stoppage of work’ Another contributory feature of has arisen because it has tried to by affiliated unions for the following the TUC’s enormously constrained avoid challenging the power of week – aware that its strike call would support for industrial disputes by the government and state, with not need to be translated into practice industrial affiliate unions has been the way an emphatic rejection of because the dockers were being political in which ideological and political militancy for ends. released that very day. loyalty to Labour, especially when Responding to claims that the 1926 General Strike represented a political Labour is in office, has encouraged it During the 1983 Stockport Messenger attack on parliamentary government, to dampen down strike action so as dispute, with new employment the TUC insisted it was an industrial not to undermine the government. legislation that threatened fines, dispute, and a ‘national strike’ rather So while it successfully campaigned injunction and sequestration of assets than ‘General Strike’. In reality, they against the Labour government’s for mass picketing, the NGA union were well aware that the logic of the 1969 In Place of Strife proposals called a national print strike (that strike did indeed threaten to challenge to enable the Secretary of State to closed Fleet Street) and appealed the power of the state – a key factor order ballots before major strikes for solidarity action. The TUC’s encouraging them to call it off. and ‘cooling-off’ periods for unofficial Employment Policy and Organisation strikes, with penal enforcement Committee expressed a ‘supportive In sum, the role of the TUC General clauses, it subsequently adopted a attitude’, but this was overruled by Council (like that union officialdom ‘solemn and binding’ commitment the General Council, leading the more generally) is more complex than with the government to strengthen NGA general secretary, Joe Wade, the simple ‘Brutus’ caricature often its authority over affiliated unions to to complain it had ‘been sold down levelled by the radical left. Certainly try to end ‘so-called unauthorised and the river’. While Arthur Scargill kept there have been periods when the unconstitutional stoppages of work’. the TUC at arms-length during the TUC opposed practically all strikes first six months of the 1984-1985 During the 1975-1977 ‘Social from 1940 to the mid-1950s, and miners’ strike, following the failure Contract’, the TUC attempted to after the 1984-1985 miners’ strike of the Orgreave mass picket, the come to the rescue of the Labour and onset of ‘new realism’ argued NUM made unsuccessful attempts government by urging unions to that strikes were outmoded and to secure TUC support for effective accept pay restraint and, thereby, counter-productive. But the TUC has solidarity industrial action. Rank-and- curb strike activity, until the policy often formally been willing to support file miners’ frustration at the TUC collapsed with the demand for a industrial disputes by individual boiled over when a noose was dangled return to free collective bargaining. affiliates, and on occasions even over General Secretary, Norman But despite a growing hostile rank- coordinate much broader forms of Willis’ head at a public meeting in and-file mood towards the Labour strike action. The relative balance South Wales. When the High Court government, the General Council between these dual roles has clearly sequestrated miners’ union funds, refused to mobilise unions in a public varied between different historical the TUC again ruled out supporting campaign against the government’s periods and contexts depending on Scargill’s call for industrial action by 10% pay limit, support the 1977-1978 the relative contradictory pressures the union movement rather than risk above firefighters’ strike, or give its backing placed upon them from both being in contempt of court below to the ‘winter of discontent’ strike and and the dynamics of workers’ struggles. Yet generally, wave. Instead, it agreed a ‘concordat’ During the 1986-1987 News the TUC has been motivated by with the government, with a voluntary International dispute, the print unions the desire to restrict action to a code of conduct for industrial disputes faced court writs for attempting to demonstrative or token form, often involving pre-strike ballots and ‘black’ newspaper distribution and playing an essentially mediatory role picketing restrictions. ‘unlawful picketing’ and then the encouraging a compromise to end sequestration of union funds, and The TUC has consistently resisted industrial disputes. Significantly left- sought TUC support against the supporting industrial action in wing members of the General Council electricians’ union whose members breach of employment legislation. (such as Swales, Hicks and Purcell (with officials’ connivance) had been So while it campaigned against the in 1926 or the so-called ‘awkward instrumental in the secret recruitment Industrial Relations Bill 1971, once it squad’ of the 1990s) have often either of staff in the new Wapping plant. was enacted onto the statue book it been unsuccessful in challenging, or But the General Council refused advised the transport union to pay have anyway gone along with, the to direct the union to instruct its a £55,000 fine levied by National restrained decisions and actions of members to stop performing work Industrial Relations Court for unofficial their more moderate counterparts. previously undertaken by sacked picketing against containerisation. staff – on the basis this would be And when five London dockers were unlawful secondary action. Again the imprisoned for continuing unofficial Ralph Darlington is Professor of unwillingness to take a more robust picketing, the TUC very reluctantly Employment Relations at University stance was widely condemned. agreed, after five days of escalating of Salford and author of Radical solidarity strike action by union An additional limitation in the Unionism (2013, Haymarket) 14 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Democracy and trade unionism: 150 years of the TUC Jim Phillips argues relations within and across unions are more complex than usually recognised he TUC is 150 years old. In leading, spending cuts on the Labour government. Angela Tuckett’s 1986 account of the marshalling, coordinating and These hacked away at the social wage STUC’s first eighty years demonstrates the Tsometimes corralling the forces and forced the unions back to the extent of dissatisfaction in Scotland in the of labour in Britain for fifteen decades, wage bargaining table. The subsequent 1880s and 1890s with the TUC, which was the TUC has contributed significantly to industrial action, culminating in the winter seen by many as unfairly dominated by democratic life in Britain. It has challenged of 1978-79, is usually remembered as the interests of a small number of large anti-union employers to recognise ‘irresponsible’ but the TUC and its affiliates unions with memberships predominantly the value of collective bargaining, and were struggling to protect the purchasing concentrated in England. There was little compelled policy-makers to listen to and power of their members amid rapidly scope for the agency or influence of accommodate the distinct interests of the rising prices. From another perspective, Scottish trades councils, which formed the workers by hand and brain. In bad times moreover, unions had to negotiate on initial core of the STUC. and good times, it has sought to counter wages because they were given license to Scottish particularity was a recurrent corporate power, advance the rights of negotiate on nothing else, such was the theme in the subsequent history of the labour and improve the living standards of unwillingness of employers to engage with STUC. Contrasting industrial structures trade unionists. their employees on other issues. in Scotland and England were surely Much of this progress has been in alliance In this connection it is important to important. The centrality of coal, metals, with the Labour Party. The link between recall that the TUC’s other ambition in shipbuilding and heavy engineering to unions and party has been criticised from the 1970s, a significant advance towards a distinct Scottish industrial identity left and right. From a socialist perspective, industrial democracy, was thwarted. The has been repeatedly emphasised in the link has been seen as limiting the 1977 Bullock report, commissioned by cultural as well as economic history. advance to the transformation of society, the Labour government and influenced by The incremental loss of jobs in these the party constrained by the ‘economistic’ TUC officials and thinking, recommended sectors after post-Second World War goals and short-term defensive instincts the appointment of union-channel worker employment peaks in the mid-1950s had of unions. The right has routinely directors in private sector industrial firms a big impact on Scotland’s subsequent characterised the link as undemocratic with 2,000 or more employees. But this political and union trajectory. Skilled - the party the prisoner of its union was resisted and defeated by an alliance labour and Communist politics, especially paymasters. of multinationals, the Confederation in mining and shipbuilding, combined of British Industry, the Conservative with deindustrialisation to cultivate Both left and right criticisms are tiresome opposition and some dissenters within union interest in the idea of Scotland as because they are so inaccurate. More than Labour’s own ranks, including future Social a nation, with particular economic and 25 years ago, pre-dating ‘new’ Labour, Democratic Party defectors. social interests that policy-makers at Lewis Minkin’s sensitive and authoritative British level were unable to recognise or The Contentious Alliance study, , explained In stabilising Labour as a party of accommodate. The STUC was more critical in great detail how the relationship really government across the mid-twentieth than the TUC of Labour governments operated from the 1900s to the 1980s, century, the TUC also intervened in the 1960s and 1970s from a socialist with a series of unwritten rules, customs ideologically and organisationally against perspective, but also cultivated and and practices. Unions, coordinated by the the Communist Party of Great Britain. mobilised a cross-class progressive alliance TUC, very rarely intruded in areas of Labour The so-called ‘Black Circular’ of the 1930s in favour of Home Rule. Party policy-making, beyond employment barred Communists from holding office and industrial relations questions. When in Trades Councils affiliated to the TUC, The ever-loosening union and the related Labour was in power, under Attlee, Wilson and prefigured similar positioning and causal factor of deindustrialisation and Callaghan, the unions provided activism during the Cold War. Leading have contributed since the 1980s to vital economic and social ballast. Wage anti-communist union officials, notably the dwindling role in Scotland’s public freezes were conceded in exchange for Arthur Deakin, General Secretary of the life of the TUC. The organisation the economic stability on which the Transport and General Workers’ Union, nevertheless remains important, not least welfare state, National Health Service, at times moved the TUC well beyond a in policy debates about employment full employment and broader material position of critical opposition to Stalinism. precariousness, universal basic income, improvement were thought to depend. Workplace trade unionism in England in the gender pay gap and the unfolding the docks, the car manufacturing industry, Brexit crisis. Its conceptualisation of In the 1970s, the TUC went even further, passenger transport and the fire brigades union democracy has at times been crude agreeing a social contract with the Labour was adversely affected by the intolerance of and intolerant of dissenting voices, but Party to limit wage advances in return th communists exhibited by the TUC and some the 150 anniversary is an important for enhanced social wages: subsidies of of its officials in the 1940s and 1950s. expression of the resilience of the labour food and fuel prices, and other important movement and the continued relevance of increases in public expenditure. But the In Scotland, however, different structures its political institutions. political and global economy pressures and contingencies were observable. The were too great for this bargain to hold. TUC had co-existed since 1897 with the Famously the International Monetary Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), Jim Phillips is co-editor of Scottish Labour Fund, called to intervene as public sector formed largely on the basis of a competing History and teaches at the University of borrowing escalated, enforced serious conceptualisation of union democracy. Glasgow

15 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Does Labour need to talk about anti-Semitism? Sarah Glynn looks at why the crisis in Labour has emerged his question is not prompted by that long ago it was Israel that was the left, they also weaken Britain’s any evidence of a correlation commonly perceived as fitting that ability to counter actual racism and Tbetween Labour Party role. Many early Zionists believed they anti-Semitism in society at large. The membership and anti-Semitism. Nor were creating a socialist state, despite resistance of neo-liberal governments – despite a perceptible growth in the fundamental contradiction of to the sharing of economic wealth, racist attitudes more generally – do Israel’s settler-colonialist basis. Labour coupled with their dedication to surveys show an increase in British Zionists made links with the British eradicating socialist ideas, has created anti-Semitism. But what has grown, Labour Party, and most Labour Party ideal conditions for the growth of and grown at an alarming rate, are members accepted the portrayal of new right-wing populisms and ethnic accusations of anti-Semitism within Israel as a plucky David surrounded by nationalisms. These both appeal to the Labour Party, and now hardly a day the Goliaths of the Arab states. Israel the elites who benefit from the status goes by without the Labour leadership still has strong residual support within quo, and to those who are looking being questioned publically on what the party, but as Israeli governments for reasons as to why their lives and they are doing about the party’s ‘anti- have become more unashamedly brutal interests have been left behind. We are Semitism’ problem. in their defiance of UN resolutions, in desperate need of a strong counter- their denial of Palestinian rights, Of course, any anti-Semitism is too narrative that can help people to see and their enforcement of Jewish much, especially when it results how growing inequality, thwarted dominance, many on the left –including in abuse, but a 2017 survey by the hopes, and deprivation are products Corbyn himself – have recognised Institute of Jewish Policy Research of a structural system deliberately Israeli oppression of Palestinians and concluded that levels of anti-Semitism imposed by neo-liberal politicians. identified with the Palestinian cause. in Britain are among the lowest in the But, whenever the Labour Party tries world. A YouGov survey commissioned This has allowed a tactical alliance to make that argument, it finds itself by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism to develop between anti-Socialists ambushed by another accusation of found Labour supporters less likely and Zionists against the Labour left. anti-Semitism, and criticisms of the than Conservatives to agree with Zionism seeks legitimacy by branding neo-liberal agenda are left unreported anti-Semitic statements, and while its political opponents as anti-Semitic, and unheard. both groups showed a significant fall and accusations of anti-Semitism have The toxic political climate also impedes in anti-Semitic attitudes over the years become the weapon of choice for those serious analysis of how and how much 2015, 2016 and 2017 (which coincide looking to wound the Labour leadership anti-Semitism may have increased since with Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the and portray socialists as unelectable. the foundation of Israel. Condemnation Labour Party), this fall was greatest These accusations generally rely on a of the Israeli state can sometimes spill among Labour supporters. Another deliberate conflation of anti-Semitism over into condemnation of all Jews, survey found little variation across with anti-Zionism, and on guilt by but this cannot be addressed without the political spectrum except for an association; but, repeated often drawing a proper distinction between increase in anti-Semitic views on the far enough, they acquire a semblance of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. A right. This should come as no surprise truth. And, instead of asking questions, as right-wing politics tends to blame mainstream journalists have joined great many Jews are horrified at what society’s ills on ‘others’ rather than the attack, diligently reporting every is being done in their name – and question the established system. accusation, and especially delighting in increasing numbers are coming to those that come from within the party. recognise that the problem is not An unlikely background, then, to restricted to the acts of a particularly have produced a ‘Labour Party The Tories don’t hesitate to refer to right-wing and hard-line Israeli anti-Semitism’ crisis, but it is no Labour’s ‘anti-Semitism’ problem at government, and is, in fact, intrinsic accident that the rising cacophony every opportunity, and welcome this in the concept of an exclusive ethno- of accusations has coincided with distraction from their own very real religious ‘Jewish state’. However, the party’s return to a more left- political failings. And the Blairites Zionism insists that it represents all wing politics. For those making the have developed a new McCarthyism Jews and is central to Jewish identity, accusations, including Labour’s with which to purge socialists from and every time that Israel portrays own right wing and the mainstream their party, ejecting even Jewish party itself as the home of world Jewry, or media, a left-wing Labour Party poses members as anti-Semites if they have Jewish community organisations leap a very serious threat. What we are criticised Israel. Despite its vaunted left to Israel’s defence, it becomes harder witnessing is a classic smear campaign sympathies, the SNP watches Labour’s to insist on the fundamental distinction with potentially world-changing self-destruction from the wings. between the ‘Jewish state’ and Jews consequences. People who make baseless allegations as a people. When MPs follow suit and Socialists have always attempted to of anti-Semitism are playing a decry anti-Zionism as anti-Semitic, they champion the oppressed, and not dangerous game. In seriously wounding compound this problem. 16 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 At the same time, false allegations of one symbolic greedy Jewish banker. anti-Semitism beyond its meaning of anti-Semitism are distracting attention Responding to such posts can be a hostility towards or discrimination from the real thing. The anti-Semitism depressing experience – any piece of against Jews as Jews’. While the Labour wolf has been called so many times counter evidence may be dismissed as leadership still needs to take on the that, when genuine anti-Semitism is false – but on other occasions people party bureaucracies that are seeking pointed out, people can be reluctant can be glad to have become better to undermine them, Jewish Voice for to recognise it. Smear campaigns may informed. Simply dismissing the poster Labour is well-placed to assume a be as old as politics, but social media as anti-Semitic could serve to alienate bigger role in facing down this witch has added a thick layer of manure to them further. People who are politically hunt, especially in countering attacks boost their growth. Besides its role engaged tend to have a large number from outside the party. This would free in spreading rumours, the internet of Facebook ‘friends’ who may post others to concentrate on promoting the can prove a very effective tool in their some surprising things. How many of socialist policies that are so desperately creation. Would-be smearers have us could survive being judged by all needed. become expert at trawling through the posts put up by our ‘friends’, and We all (both in and outwith Labour) online histories to unearth any piece who would want to live in a society need to talk about anti-Semitism so of evidence that may support their where that sort of scrutiny was deemed that we know what it is and what it is claim, however indirectly. This might acceptable? not. We need to recognise and stop it be a carelessly worded comment, or Smears are easy to make and very for the sake of those it attacks, and also a post that has been shared without difficult to get rid of, so what can because if our comrades are in any way thorough proof reading. It could even the Labour leadership do? While any seduced by it their other actions will be something shared by a ‘friend’, or instances of genuine anti-Semitism be tarnished and their understanding in a group to which someone has been require firm, fair and proportionate confused. And we need to be alert to added. Politicians have generally learnt action, it should not have allowed how false accusations of anti-Semitism to be careful in their own posts, but itself to be pushed into any measures are being used to attack the left and their past history may still be there to or statements that could be taken cut across hopes for a fairer society be mined, and friends and supporters to suggest that anti-Semitism is a in which it would be harder for any may be much more careless. There is specifically Labour problem. The danger racisms to put down root. no shortage of material on the web to in responding to this sort of attack is trip up the unsuspecting. Sarah Glynn is a Jewish anti-Zionist. She that you are pushed constantly onto is not a member of any political party. Some of this material is genuinely the back foot, defending your actions worrying, and it is important and unable to change the agenda. References to understand why it is being Some specific accusations do require a http://www.jpr.org.uk/documents/ shared. People who have learnt swift and brief rebuttal, but attempts JPR.2017.Anti-Semitism_in_ contemporary_Great_Britain.pdf, see to be suspicious of reporting from to mollify the accusers by responding especially pages 5 and 7 mainstream sources, such as the BBC, in detail to the charges and not calling may not be equally critical of sources them out as a politically motivated https://anti-Semitism.uk/wp-content/ that claim to debunk the mainstream smear campaign, only invites further uploads/2017/08/Anti-Semitism- narrative. All sorts of stories can take attacks. Carefully nuanced arguments Barometer-2017.pdf a hold, and appear to be corroborated can easily be partially quoted and https://evolvepolitics.com/yougov- when they are only being repeated. given a very different twist – as in the polls-show-anti-Semitism-in-labour-has- Common sources of anti-establishment Standard’s commentary about Corbyn’s actually-reduced-dramatically-since- counter-narratives include far-right article in its own paper on 24 April jeremy-corbyn-became-leader groups that spread anti-Semitic 2018. Corbyn’s dogged reasonableness conspiracy theories, so we have seen https://bellacaledonia.org. served him well on the back benches, uk/2017/09/05/a-tangled-web the depressing phenomenon of people but can make him too ready to concede who consider themselves left-wing points that should not be conceded. http://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/ anti-racists sharing anti-Semitic memes and articles created by the far right. More positively, the attack on the Holocaust denial used to be limited to Labour leadership fascist groups, but is now alarmingly through the common among people who are calculated misuse suspicious of any mainstream histories, of charges of and particularly of a history that has anti-Semitism been used to argue for the Zionist state. has prompted Less obviously worrying, but much the founding of more pervasive, is the spread of memes Jewish Voice for depicting the nineteenth-century anti- Labour. This is an Semitic trope of a Rothschild conspiracy organisation of for world domination. Besides their progressive Jewish anti-Semitism, these memes distract party members from the real cause of world problems. who ‘oppose Rather than point at the impact of attempts to widen finance capital, they put all blame on the definition of

17 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Spain 0 - Scotland 1 (half-time score) Peter Lomas continues our consideration of the Catalonian crisis here’s no necessary connection UK-wide pattern. As long as the Brexit immediate reaction here to her plight between Scotland and Catalonia, negotiations go on, we need to know – including a massive crowdfunding Texcept that we hired a Catalan what kind of British state will be left campaign for her legal costs – architect, Enric Miralles, to design after EU withdrawal. What else could demonstrates both the level of Scottish our new Parliament building, and the First Minister have done? Inaction, public support and the democratic that the independence movements or a snap independence referendum in superiority of our institutions. The case in both ‘regions’ seek re-entry to the Scotland, would both have been wrong. may well go to the Scottish High Court; EU as sovereign states. There are also Meanwhile, Sturgeon’s support for any let us hope for some independence of important differences. compromise avoiding a hard Brexit is mind from our judges on this matter. both logical and responsible – loyal to First, while Catalonia is Spain’s The possibility of a democratic the well-being of Britain as a whole. wealthiest industrial region (providing Scottish secession from Britain has some kind of independence in its own It is British government’s actions, not been weakened or discredited in right), the opposite is true of Scotland based on a paltry (51.8%) majority the slightest by recent developments; in Britain. The separatist movement in for Brexit, that are controversial and it has simply been delayed - stymied Scotland, moreover, has always been unconstitutional. Imagine the howls of by the illegitimate behaviour of the idealistic and intellectually innovative protest if a Holyrood government had Conservative government, fearful of its rather than narrowly nationalist. SNP sought to withdraw from Britain on a own party divisions and obsessed with governments have led the British similar statistical basis. The Tory Party is imposing its own version of economic trend away from fossil fuels; our caught on the horns of its own dilemma. austerity. independence movement looks to This is a problem imposed on Scotland: We expect architects of political change, Nordic socio-economic models. an abuse of power as arbitrary and rigid like the architects of new buildings, to as the Spanish government’s assumption Second, there is a different political be bold and imaginative. But they must of direct rule in Catalonia. heritage. Catalonia is a culturally- also be sensitive to the style and culture rich and cosmopolitan region of The stand-out exception in all this is of those who will live with the changes. Mediterranean Europe. Prior to fisheries policy, because it was the Tory In this respect, the Tory government’s EU entry, Spain was a marginal Thatcher government that exploited the actions since 2016 are as irrelevant and European society ruled by a military European Commission’s liberalisation autocratic towards Scotland as Miralles’ dictatorship, struggling with economic of fishing licences three decades ago, creation in Edinburgh. After his death, underdevelopment for decades after allowing Cornish fishing families to sell Miralles’ widow Benedetta Tagliabue the wrong side won the Civil War. In their permits for money. The result was kept on the architects’ cabinet, that war, the most ardent defenders Spanish trawlers hoovering up the North executing public contracts in the Catalan of the Republic – and most persecuted Sea and almost destroying cod stocks capital. Still, it’s no credit to them, and in defeat – were the Catalans. It is no along with the east-coast Scottish fishing no consolation to us, that key features accident that the post-Franco Spanish industry. But the SNP government of the Scottish Parliament building bear constitution, while providing for regional fought the EU on this (successfully more than a passing resemblance to the devolution, contains no legal provision reversing the policy on discards, for Barcelona Vegetable Market. for its extension into secession. That example). The North-East voters have is why all the Catalan referendum no grounds for turning Tory, as they initiatives have been technically illegal have done, and stabbing the Scottish Peter Lomas is the author of Unnatural and politically controversial in the Government in the back over Brexit. States: The International System and the Spanish national context. In Britain, by Power to Change (London/New York: Meanwhile, it’s important to support contrast, the idea of a free union of Routledge, 2017). the Catalans in principle, provided they nations, dating from 1603, implicitly proceed in a non-violent and legitimist contains the possibility of its dissolution. manner. A legitimist move now by That is why when Alex Salmond, as the Spanish government, instead of Scottish First Minister, politely asked repeatedly sending in the Guardia Civil EDITORIAL COMMITTEE the British Prime Minister to co-operate riot-squads, would be to legislate for a Bill Bonnar Bill Ramsay in a binding Scottish independence binding constitutional referendum in referendum, the latter had to agree. Cat Boyd Lilian Macer Catalonia. One of the Catalan rebels, Sarah Collins Gordon Morgan Scotland is not Catalonia, pace Rajoy’s Clara Ponsati (former education Moira Craig Tommy Sheppard repeated threats to veto independent minister), still has residence in Scotland Scottish membership of the EU. Here, as Professor of Economics at St Andrews Sean Duffy Dave Sherry I think that the current First Minister’s University. She is resisting extradition to Carole Ewart Stephen Smellie positions since the Brexit referendum Spain under a European Arrest Warrant, Gregor Gall Bob Thomson have been perfectly sound. It was arguing that there is no independent Editor Convener only natural to re-open the Scottish judiciary in Spain and that the grounds Pat Kelly independence question after the of the warrant, that she is guilty of Vice Convener. Scottish vote in 2016 went against the violent sedition, are baseless. The 18 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Getting the best out of Brexit Pauline Bryan argues for combining constitutional and social change for the post-2019 period

hat can we hope to get that arise out of the repatriation of power gives an opportunity to end out of Brexit? One benefit powers from the EU. While the SNP the marketization of licenses for fish Whas to be sovereignty. government has complained about quotas. The Scottish Government But what does that actually mean Westminster grabbing powers, it has could support and encourage for Britain today? Devolution in at same time come to an agreement cooperatives at both fishing and Britain has been piecemeal and to establish Common Frameworks. processing stages and bring much fragmented. Politicians have This is likely to involve a number needed investment into neglected responded to pressure for change of joint ministerial committees communities. We could start straight without having a clear vision of how that could come to replicate EU away by arguing for the right of Britain could operate with multiple Commissions by being technocratic, workers in Pinney’s fish processing parliaments and assemblies. New insular, power hungry and closed factory to take over their company. powers were devolved in what to public scrutiny. So it is vital that The requirement for competitive appeared a haphazard way. Whatever we think through the democratic tendering of public services has to the perceived political differences structures for cross-Britain decision be removed so that transport and between the nations there was a making that can take account of the the utilities can be renationalised. limit to how much they could actually devolved parliaments and assemblies The ability to borrow to invest in diverge, as many of the decisions and create democratic structures for infrastructure and to give state aid taken in Westminster, Holyrood, the regions of England. We do not to industries or different ownership Cardiff and Belfast were constrained want to find, having been released models must be permitted. by EU rules and regulations. The from some of the restrictions of the different nations of Britain were EU, that they are re-imposed by a Long term, we must look to a obliged to be aligned because of the British Tory government. different constitutional setup that EU. brings the nations and regions So if we want the best out of Brexit, together to ensure that the interests The Scottish SNP Government on a we need to think further than a list of of working people are properly number of occasions explained why powers and consider what structures represented. The House of Lords it could not introduce progressive we need to ensure that our economy must be abolished and, perhaps, policies because of EU regulations. It is democratically accountable, that replaced with an elected chamber had to put ScotRail and the Scottish we can redistribute wealth between responsible for cross UK decision ferries out to competitive tendering. the regions and nations and which making. Getting the best out of In the case of procurement, it said can retain class solidarity. Jeremy Brexit will involve radical change, that it could not prevent blacklisters Corbyn stated in his Coventry speech and we know that the Tories won’t from bidding for government projects in February 2018: ‘As we change deliver it. We have to work together or insist upon companies paying the our constitutional relationship with through political and union action living wage because the EU’s internal Europe, we must also adjust our and in communities whose needs are market commissioner had advised own arrangements. Just as many felt ignored to ensure that we win our them that the policy suggested that power was too centralised and Brexit, not the Tory’s Brexit. by Scottish Labour was, to quote, unaccountable in Brussels, so many ‘unlikely’ to be possible. feel that about Westminster’. Pauline Bryan is co-author with In order to achieve a progressive One thing is clear: when powers Vince Mills of ‘Getting the best out of Brexit, we have to ensure that we are repatriated, unless there is the Brexit’ published by Radical Options have class unity that cuts across political will to do things differently for Scotland and Europe nations and regions, but at the we will find that the implicit ideology same time allows powers to be of the EU is repatriated along with devolved to the level most effective the powers. Take agriculture. The for democracy, transparency and Scottish Tenant Farmers’ Association accountability. Not an easy circle to is optimistic about Brexit as it sees square. That is why we badly need that there is an opportunity to target the Constitutional Convention as support payments to smaller farms promised in Labour’s manifesto. I rather than large multinationals. The would argue that we cannot wait withdrawal from the EU’s Common for a Labour Government before Fisheries Policy will be well received starting this process; we need an in Scottish fishing communities but agreed approach to take into the next without further change the British election campaign. fisheries management regime will There are some immediate issues stay in place. The repatriation of

19 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 National self-determination today Neil Davidson explores the basis on which socialists should approach the issue of national self-determination

n 1896, the London Congress of Independence, it could perhaps be working class within them. the Second International passed one recognized in international law; The distinction between oppressor a resolution declaring that it but as the Palestinians have long I and oppressed was never an entirely stood ‘for the complete right of all since found out, motions passed by adequate device for establishing nations to self-determination’. Over a the United Nations do not have the the attitude of Marxists towards hundred and twenty years later, can force of law, unless they are supported national movements. It had nothing socialists still make the same confident by the US and its allies. It is not, of to say about the attitude of socialists declaration? course, that all rights are completely to nations which may have had Support for national self- intangible; they can and have been legitimate grounds for claiming that determination should be relatively won, including, most obviously, the they were oppressed – as Serbia did uncontentious. It does not mean right to vote; but these are outcomes in 1914, for example – but which socialists supporting secession by of class and other social struggles were part of a wider inter-imperialist every national group who demands it, within the territories of individual struggle in which their situation was but rather supporting them in making nation-states, subsequently enshrined manipulated by one side. Nor did an unimpeded decision about their in their laws. it provide guidance in a situation constitutional status, which is simply a One need not accept Rosa in which a socialist revolution in a question of democracy. Socialists need Luxemburg’s belief in the ultimate multi-national empire – like Russia not necessarily support a particular pointlessness of national self- in 1917 – might result in some of the decision and may argue against it, determination under capitalism to formerly oppressed nations seeking depending on what they see as being recognize the truth of her assessment: to secede from a workers’ state, as in the interests of the working class ‘A ‘right of nations’ which is valid for for example Ukraine attempted to do and the struggle for socialism more all countries and all times is nothing during the early stages of the Russian generally. more than a metaphysical cliché of the Revolution. My argument here is not that the positions adopted by Lenin But clearly, there are some cases in type of ‘rights of man’ and ‘rights of and the Bolsheviks in these cases were which even recognizing the ‘right to the citizen’.’ wrong, quite the contrary, but rather decide’ is always going to be against There are, of course, national that they were based on a wider set the interests of the working class, movements whose struggle for of political considerations than simply notably where a particular group is statehood socialists are obliged the oppressor/oppressed distinction. aligned with one imperialist power or to support. Perhaps Lenin’s most However, it could be legitimately another. In these examples, socialists important contribution to debates argued that these were exceptional could legitimately point to the way on the national question was to cases and that as a broad distinction in which national demands were highlight the distinction was between the categories of oppressor and directed towards reactionary ends, but ‘oppressed’ and ‘oppressor’ nations, oppressed generally allowed socialists this implicitly means abandoning the as a basis for deciding which national to arrive at correct operational notion of a ‘right’, since by definition movements should be supported conclusions. these are universal and cannot be and which opposed by socialists. The restricted to those with whom we former were those nationalities held Lenin tended to see the question politically agree. An alternative against their collective will within of national self-determinationas strategy would be to deny that groups the remaining absolutist or tributary an intrinsic part of the bourgeois with which we disagree are nations at empires of the Hapsburgs, Romanovs revolution. In other words, it was not all, but this involves returning to some and Ottomans, or the colonies and one which would remain eternally variant of the discredited Stalinist semi-colonies of the Great Powers valid until the global triumph of the ‘checklist’ method of definition, in in Africa, Asia, Latin America and, socialist revolution, but rather one which one sets the criteria to get the of course, Ireland. These national relevant to a situation in which three result one desires: in this case the movements had to be supported, remaining absolutist or tributary notion of a ‘right’ can be retained, whatever the exact nature of their empires (Austria-Hungary, Russia and but only by denying the existence of politics, which were in most cases Turkey) and eight capitalist powers certain nations. uninformed by socialist aspirations. (UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, USA and It might be more helpful to abandon On the other hand, there were Japan), had between them reduced ‘rights’ talk altogether. Who or the ‘oppressor’ nations (and the the rest of the world outside Europe, what, after all, could confer a ‘right absolutist and tributary empires) North America and Australasia to to self-determination’? Assuming it which prevented the oppressed from colonial or semi-colonial status. is not an unalienable right granted achieving independent statehood. The by the Creator, such as those listed nationalisms of these oppressor states The world remains deeply uneven in the American Declaration of had to be opposed, above all by the and unequal in terms of power and 20 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 influence, but it is now one divided The other, more relevant to Scotland, the tolerance of people of different into a system of nation-states. The is the emergence, or in some cases the nations or ‘races’ for each other? re-emergence of ‘stateless nations’ historic formation of this system Depending on the answers, and seeking autonomy or independence in was accomplished during the sixty without any illusions in the ability of years between the opening of the the long-established capitalist states small states to resist the pressures of First World War and the end of the of the West. In some cases these the world capitalist system, deciding post-war boom. The three major had an earlier history of oppression, to secede can be seen as both a national questions still unresolved in others not; but by the 1980s progressive and democratic option from the era of decolonization are differences between Catalonia and which need not involve nationalism at the reunification of Ireland, and the Quebec on the one hand and Scotland all. In each case, however, constructing plight of the Palestinians and the on the other were marginal, compared an argument for why a particular Kurds. The latter are both exceptional to what faces the Palestinians and group should determine their own No in different respects: the former Kurds. nation-state recognizes a future has to be done on the basis of because the Palestinians no longer constitutional ‘right’ to secede from a political argument, rather than the possess a territory in which to exercise it. Some, like the UK, do not refer to application of a formula. self-determination, having been the issue at all, leaving politicians and effectively expelled from it by the state managers to deal with national Neil Davidson is a lecturer in sociology Zionist colonial-settler regime; the issues on an ad hoc basis as they in the School of Social and Political Kurds because they are spread across emerge, rather than tying their hands Sciences at the University of Glasgow. the territories of five different nation- in advance with legal constraints. He is author of Nation-States: states and have different relations Others, among which the Spanish Consciousness and Competition; We with each. The Kurdish example also state is preeminent, explicitly exclude Cannot Escape History: States and illustrates the difficulty of simply the possibility. But simply rejecting Revolutions; Holding Fast to an Image attempting to apply the oppressor/ Scottish or Catalan demands for self- of the Past: Explorations on Marxism oppressed distinction, given the quite determination on the grounds that and History; and How Revolutionary different political trajectories taken by they are not oppressed is to embrace Were the Bourgeois Revolutions? (all the Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian Kurds in a stultifying formalism which takes Haymarket Books). relation to US imperialism, the internal no account of the exigencies of regimes in the territories they control, the class struggle or the dangers of and much else besides. inadvertently supporting the existing constitutional structures of the leading However, the biggest problems for capitalist nation-states. Marxists in deciding what attitude to take to national movements has not For socialists, the question of support been these long-standing struggles for for particular national demands self-determination, but two relatively (not for particular nationalisms) is Cover: recent phenomena. One is where determined by their relationship to Nadia Lucchesi former nation-states have entered a the struggle for socialism, regardless ([email protected]) process of complete disintegration, of whether the nation concerned is as in Yugoslavia during the 1990s oppressed or not. Lenin’s response Proofing services: and in several states in Central Africa to Rosa Luxemburg is relevant Bob Thomson, John Wood and and the Middle East more recently, here. He argued that withholding John Daly above all in Syria. What attitude support from national movements Communications and should the left take in these cases, seeking to escape great empires, as organisational development: where economic collapse, civil war, her native Poland was from Russia, Carole Ewart invasion, or failed revolutions have left had two detrimental effects: one Editor Email: different religious, tribal or ‘ethnic’ was to hand over leadership to the [email protected] groups struggling against each other bourgeois nationalists in the former; to seize territory and resources? It the other was to implicitly endorse Web: www.scottishleftreview.org is completely futile for the left to the continued rule of the latter. Tel: 0141 424 0042 assume there must necessarily be a Support for national demands should Address: ‘progressive’ side in these situations. of course be openly undertaken One can and must oppose Western with the purpose of weakening the Scottish Left Review, intervention on behalf of one side or support of workers for nationalism, 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, the other without having any illusions and in this context several questions Glasgow G41 4PL that, for example, Assad represents a have to be asked. Does support more progressive option. When Karl strengthen or weaken the capitalist or Printed by Leibknecht raised the slogan ‘the main imperialist state? Does it strengthen Hampden Advertising Ltd, enemy is at home’ he did not mean or weaken the class consciousness 403 Hillington Road, G52 4BL, to imply that the only enemy was at and organization of the working Tel: 0141 429 1010 home. class? Does it strengthen or weaken

21 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Why the British working class should support Scottish independence Fraser Coats looks back to 2014 to see where we should be heading in 2018 hen David Cameron was Put simply they confused virtue with for many, tens of thousands are killed overheard crowing that the vice; the unity of our class with the by fuel poverty every winter, others WQueen had ‘purred down the defence of the very institutions which driven to suicide by benefits sanctions, line’ on being told that Scotland had attack us. Class unity doesn’t depend joblessness and despair. rejected independence, his delight was upon sharing a government - examples And Labour now claims to represent not only personal, but echoed the relief of international solidarity are too British workers but like its Liberal being felt that morning by his entire numerous for that theory to bear any predecessor it too has a century-long class. scrutiny - so it would be illogical to argue record of defending, not defeating, Every national and regional daily paper that our shared values are threatened British capitalism. Notwithstanding the supported ‘no’; military leaders warned by Scottish self-determination. But efforts of genuine and able figures like of threats to British security; financial Westminster, the preferred choice of the Hardie himself, Lansbury, Benn or even ’experts’ said banks would abandon labour movement, never seems to run Corbyn today, no-one can seriously Scotland; supermarket bosses predicted out of ways to divide and defeat working believe a British road to socialism still price rises while oil tycoons made people. And the loss of Scotland, one exists. of its central pillars, would have been you wonder why they were involved It’s true that Scotland can’t claim in oil production at all if there really a crushing blow to the class system as conditions were created for its collapse the victim status of an ex-colony. Yet was as little left in the North Sea as that’s the point. Unlike Ireland, an they insisted; the elderly were told of and debate began to open up in the other nations. This is what Cameron independent Scotland would represent pensions at risk; and immigrants would the beginnings of the Empire crumbling be forced to leave Scotland. Finally, as fully understood and the British labour movement failed to grasp. from within, an irreversible rejection of late polls showed a narrow lead for ‘yes’, the British ruling class by a section of its PMQs was hastily cancelled to allow It’s nothing new. A century and a own working class. the three main British party leaders to half ago around a million people The movement however, disorientated travel to Scotland, link arms in political were starved out of Ireland in order by Brexit and Corbyn, now appears unity and cobble together ‘The Vow’, a to undermine wages and conditions divided on the timing of a second promise to grant Scotland more powers in Britain. Although they lived in referendum. But frustration is the if it voted ‘no’. squalor, they were resented and held enemy and while support remains in contempt by native workers, whose The merits of those arguments have stagnant a second vote would most leaders at the time accepted British been exhaustively debated. But there likely end in a more permanent defeat. policy in Ireland. It was a classic case of remains a question yet to be addressed. Like it or not, the dust has to settle divide and rule. In siding with the ruling Despite the most ferocious defence of on Brexit before a clear vision of an class on Ireland, British workers were ruling class interests in modern times, independent Scotland can emerge. If in fact supporting a strategy designed analysis of the vote revealed that that vision is progressive, if the SNP can working class Scots and those in the to attack their own living standards, be pushed leftwards towards more pro- poorest areas had, by clear majorities, the unthinking architects of their own working class policies - using a Scottish voted ‘yes’. Like Cameron, they too had impoverishment, prompting Karl Marx currency to facilitate full employment figured out where their class interests to write ‘the English working class will for example or promoting co-operatives lay. In the rest of the Britain though, never accomplish anything before it has amongst the unemployed as in regions what evidence there was suggested a got rid of Ireland’. of Italy - then support will grow again. substantial majority of working class 21st century Scotland is not, of course, Build it and they will come, you might people favoured Scotland remaining in 19th century Ireland. Conditions say. Cameron recognised that the Britain. for working people have improved Scottish question is about class not Common bonds based mainly on immeasurably, and Scotland never was a nationality. It should be our duty to sentiment played a part for sure but colony. But there remain parallels to be make the same crucial distinction. that hardly explains the positions of our drawn and lessons we shouldn’t forget. Fraser Coast is a train driver and chair own, supposedly more class-conscious The advances in conditions for working of ASLEF Bathgate branch. He was movement. Labour was of course, people are not a result of Westminster previously shop steward in CWU and a hostile to independence while those rule, but of the fight against it. They long-term member of Scottish Socialist unions who declared a position were have been taken, not given. But Party (SSP) and chair of its Airdrie and also unanimously opposed, and to be accepting concessions allowed our ruling Coatbridge branch. fair, this does seem to have accurately class to remain intact, to live to fight reflected the views of ordinary another day when conditions turn in members. Why then did the wider their favour. The results are disastrous; British working class align themselves poverty and inequality have rocketed, with their own ruling class? food banks have become an essential 22 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Carillion collapse highlights need to tame the power of corporations and economic elites Prem Sikka shows how the rules are rigged for the rich he collapse of Carillion isn’t an The accounting rules for treatment of limited. The same cannot be said about isolated event. The British high ‘goodwill’ are not the outcome of any society at large which faces unlimited Tstreet is now full of collapses parliamentary debates. Rather the rules liability. In common with other insolvent and closures resulting in loss of jobs, were formed by the Financial Reporting businesses, Carillion’s secured creditors, pensions, supply chains and destruction Council (FRC), a body colonised by mainly banks, will be at the head of of local economies. Big names such big business and accountancy firms. the queue and are likely to recover a as Maplin, BHS and Toys R Us have Inevitably, it delivered the results substantial part of the £1.5bn owed disappeared. Carpetright, Poundland desired by the elites. to them. Carillion owed around £2bn and House of Fraser are teetering. to its 30,000 suppliers, which includes The FRC claims that it consults Inevitably parliamentary committees plumbers, electricians, truck drivers, corporations, investors and elites in and media ponder over ‘what’s to self-employed construction workers, order to develop and they all approve other contractors and HMRC and they be done?’. Within the contradictions its accounting rules. Imagine if in 18th of capitalism, the usual response to will be lucky to recover anything. In century America someone developed British insolvency law, pension schemes unexpected scandals and collapses is to social policies by consulting slave owners tweak accounting, auditing, corporate rank as unsecured creditors too, but and then said that there is widespread may be bailed out by the Pension governance and pensions reforms. support for slavery. If they spoke to This is welcome but simultaneously Protection Fund (PPF). The bailout for slaves, they would have soon learnt some members will be up to a maximum misses the bigger picture. The real that there is no support for slavery. problem is the power of corporations of 90% of the deficit. This would lead Similarly, the selective consultations to reductions in pensions for retirees and how wealthy elites are able to treat of accounting rule makers privilege corporations as their private fiefdoms. who may have to be supported by the the worldviews of corporate elites and taxpayer funded welfare system. All this is permitted by law. shareholders. No consideration is given This state of affairs exists because The laws and policies are introduced by to the consequences of the rules for of the privileging of the interests of political parties funded by big business employees and other stakeholders. corporations and economic elites. and wealthy elites. They control the The failure to write off goodwill in From a risk management perspective, media and provide jobs to former Carillion’s income statement meant in the event of bankruptcy, pension and potential ministers to advance that the company reported artificially scheme liabilities should be prioritised their interests. In return, laws and high profits which masked its i.e. paid before any other creditor. institutional structures are devised to deteriorating financial position. Higher With the passing of time, employees appease corporate interests. profits justified the payment of higher simply can’t rebuild their pension pots. Consider the case of Carillion, whose dividends to appease capital markets Pensions are probably the major source final balance boasted assets of £2.2m. and shareholders. Higher profits of income for most retirees and they Some £1.6m of this related to what enabled directors to claim performance cannot afford to forego any part of it. In accountants call ‘goodwill’ which is related bonuses and shareholders contrast, banks and financial institutions the difference between the price paid happily approved them. The dividends hold diversified portfolios and are in a for the tangible assets of acquired personally benefitted directors because position to absorb some of the losses companies and the value of their they held shares and share options from corporate bankruptcies. But such tangible assets. In economic terms, it in the company. Directors failed to social logic does not inform laws. The could be rationalised that Carillion had address the deficit of over £800m on same malaise is present in accounting bought businesses with some economic the company’s pension schemes. No law rule making. The rules advance the advantages which it hoped would or accounting rule required company interests of shareholders and markets, enable it to earn superior returns and directors to eliminate the deficit. but are not road-tested to ascertain £1.6m represented a kind of present The Pension Regulator does not have negative impacts on others. The Carillion value of those future returns. But powers to demand that companies with collapse should encourage reflections on Carillion did not have superior returns. pension scheme deficits should not be the fundamental causes of bad policies and reinvigorate calls for reforms Its cash margins on contracts were able to pay dividends without a plan to which prioritise societal concerns over between 2% and 5% of sales i.e. there eliminate the deficits. Britain actually does not have a central enforcer of appeasement of corporations and was no sign of any superior performance company law to oversee companies. economic elites. and returns. Therefore, goodwill should not have been shown as an asset in its The liquidation of Carillion has inflicted balance sheet. The entire asset should losses on employees, supply chain Prem Sikka is Professor of Accounting have been written-down. Instead, the creditors and left the HMRC in the and Finance at the University of Sheffield dubious asset of ‘goodwill’ continued to lurch. Some institutional shareholders and Emeritus Professor of Accounting at appear in balance sheet in full right to huffed and puffed about the loss of their the University of Essex the end. Accounting rules permitted it. investment, but at least their liability is

23 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Gun control – where east could meet west Victor Grossman recounts how gun control was a state affair in East Germany

y brother-in-law Werner and which were not: ill animals, yes, regime change, which occurred in was a passionate hunter. for example, but no does with fawns 1989-1990 without any bloodshed. Until his early death he or wild sows with offspring. The rules M Were the rules far too stringent? lived in the former East Germany. I were strict; every bullet had to be My hunting enthusiast brother-in- lived there, too, for many years, and accounted for, whether a hit or a miss! law never complained to me about it was there that my brother-in-law Corresponding rules were in force restrictions on his hunting rights took me with him on a few hunting for shooting clubs. Schooling and (whose rules now no longer apply). trips. I made clear that I did not at licenses were required, weapons were He was, by the way, a teacher, who all like the idea of shooting a deer, a kept not at home but at the clubs, never dreamed of having a gun in a gracefully beautiful animal. As for the ammunition was apportioned and classroom. And his death, before he wild boars, hardly handsome creatures had to be accounted for. Yes, these was 65, was not due to any hunting or to any eyes but those of their mates were indeed restrictions on freedom, weapons’ mishap but rather, almost and offspring – I didn’t like the idea and most likely had a rationale not conclusively, to his addiction to of shooting them either. I went along only in terms of forestry or sports but cigarettes, whose use was completely partly out of curiosity, partly for the also politically, with no unauthorized uncontrolled. chance to do some bird-watching weapons in possibly rebellious hands. Victor Grossman, a McCarthy- while he was watching for prey. And those authorized for people in era ex-pat from New York to East uniform were also restricted to their Werner had an amazingly sharp eye Berlin, writes books and Berlin official times on duty. for distant grazers - he was skilled with Bulletins in English and German. His his gun but also with words as he tried This recalls, in reverse, the reasons autobiography is ‘Crossing the River, A to convince me that hunting, despite why some Americans oppose Memoir of the American Left, the Cold its death and blood, was a necessity. controls or limitations even on War, and Life in East Germany’ (U. of With no natural enemies (until recent assault weapons, which are certainly Massachusetts Press). years when some wolves were re- not bought for hunting or sport or introduced) an overgrown deer to protect against robbers. When population would ruin acres of young some National woodland, and wild hogs can ruin Rifle Association many potato fields. Their numbers fans raise posters Scottish Left Review had to be kept in check by humans, proclaiming that ‘AR- The Scottish Left Review is a non-profit making publication. he insisted. This did not justify excited 15’s EMPOWER the Please subscribe or make a donation by going to www. hobby hunters shooting all that moved people’ we can easily scottishleftreview.org where you can pay by credit card but, he claimed, did justify a strictly guess what kind of or by filling in your details in the form below and returning planned improvement of their ranks. people and what kind to Scottish Left Review, 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, Glasgow G41 4PL I suspect that even this rationale of power are meant. No, their proliferating would anger vegetarians and Name vegans, and I will not argue. But the gun collections are interesting aspect for me was a system not only destined for which many would see as a restriction stags, pheasants or Address of freedom and typical for such a range target stands. ‘communist’-run state. Weapons and The strict weapons’ ammunition were strictly controlled. laws on Werner’s Guns, though privately-owned, were hunting were Tel: stored at the hunting clubs, usually undoubtedly a connected with the forest ranger’s restriction of his E-mail: home and station. To get licenses as freedoms and a club members, hunters had to attend Second Amendment Subscription/Donation classes and pass exams on identifying was lacking. This wildlife, avoiding unnecessary cruelty meant that that Date: or neglect, shooting ability – and some there were virtually 205 old traditional rules for hunters, once no shooting deaths Subscriptions: £18 (waged), £14 (unwaged), £24 (local restricted to nobility or men of wealth. and not a single mass organisations), £30 (national organisations). The guns had to be picked up and shooting, in schools Donations will be gratefully recieved. Cheques should be returned on an agreed-upon system, or anywhere else – crossed and made payable to: Left Review Scotland Ltd. which governed which seasons and not even, as it turned You can also subscribe/donate online at www.scottishleftreview.org which animals were ‘okay’ for hunting out, in the course of 24 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 usdaw the campaigning union

national health minimum and safety wage congratulations to the tuc on its 150th anniversary pensions

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Visit our website for some great campaign ideas and resources: www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns To join Usdaw visit: www.usdaw.org.uk General Secretary: John Hannett President: Amy Murphy Usdaw, 188 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 6LJ

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Nae Pasaran (2018) Evoking Pinochet’s four-decades-old comment missed an opportunity for hu- written, produced and directed by Felipe military coup against the first left-wing manitarian reflection - instead he ‘made Bustos Sierra presidency of Chile grounds the storyline a shovel and buried himself’. of Nae Pasaran - as does the responsive As if by poetically dramatic juxtaposi- Reviewed by Jackie Bergson action of the film’s shop-steward heroes, tion, the heroic, magical image of Bob ae Pasaran is the extraordinary who acted to stop further delivery Fulton in ghostly form appears as the result of Felipe Bustos Sierra’s of engines for Hawker Hunter planes story unfolds, standing in the way of quest to find congruence in a which bombed La Moneda Palace trucks destined for Chile to deliver war N and President Allende with it on 11 story which stirred his curiosity and plane engines. This transcendental passion about Scottish workers who September 1973. touch resonates with meaning beyond refused to carry out maintenance on Covering important details through the facts and conversations distilled aeroplane engines used by the Chilean archive footage such as the bombing within the film. This ordinary hero and air force to bomb its own people in the of La Moneda, the film also chronicles his former Rolls Royce colleagues alike early 1970s. The impact of this action the significance of Judith Hart, a Labour are telling how they felt at the time and of solidarity by Scottish engineers had MP who was captured and tortured by how they still feel today, despite circum- never been fully documented and Chilean secret police at the time; events stances being very different. Seeing the the meaning of the story behind and such as public gatherings of peaceful image of trucks simply driving through following that action had, therefore, protest in Chile by the revolutionary Bob in ghostly form resonates with the been all but lost. Uncovering and left wing movement MIR - which, men’s point that circumstances today putting all of the pieces of this true story amongst other atrocities, suffered the are very different. The open question together with exceptional talent and assassination of its general secretary which the film points to here is clearly commitment, the film’s young director in 1974 by Chilean secret police; some whether or how a similar action of sol- brings this rousing and compassionate of the horrific actions of the Chilean idarity between workers in Britain and account of events which took place in military and its secret police agency in abroad would be able to have the same the 1970s to a wider audience. torturing and killing suspected dissidents direct impact today. With resounding and resonating proclamation, Nae Pas- Nae Pasaran’s cinematic arc began in of Pinochet’s regime; and newsreel aran is the best documentary to come earnest this decade, when Edinburgh- commentary about USA-Andes copper out of Scotland in recent years. Not to based Felipe, whose heritage is Chilean, mines investors, whom in 1973 were be missed on its release this September. contacted the engineers who had led a believed to have supported Pinochet’s four-year boycott from their workplace coup against President Allende. Jackie Bergson has worked in the voluntary sector and commercial in East Kilbride’s Rolls Royce factory in Connecting meaning and significance business development in technology and 1973. ‘Tank commander’ Bob Fulton between 1973 to present day through creative sectors. Educated in and living and his ‘super-shop-steward’ colleagues, recent interviews with a prominent in Glasgow, her political and social views Robert Somerville, Stuart Barrie and Chilean journalist, British officials chime left-of-centre. John Keenan were, thus, given an who represented the Chile Solidarity exceptional opportunity to breathe true campaign at the time and a high-rank- life into this remarkable story. ing Chilean air force general, the fine Telling how these men’s ‘moral compass’ intelligence, open curiosity and unobtru- was their true guide throughout, in sive style of the film truly shines. Light making the film, Felipe has since stated is consequently thrown upon certain that these same men represented Chilean viewpoints such as ‘[the Rolls ‘a true barometer’ for him. Thus, an Royce workers] did not see themselves investigative impetus which leads to the as criminals … nobody knows the truth’, discovery of an abandoned, rusting Rolls aired by one commentator; the Scottish Royce Avon engine - which was returned boycotters being thought of as similar from Chile to Scotland early in 2018 – to radicalised Islamists expressed by also leads to the reporting of the grave another. In answering questions after a circumstances which existed in Chile screening, Felipe stated that in his own during General Pinochet’s command. view the General who made the latter 26 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Iain Ferguson, in a capitalist society is to increase who rejected the determinism of production and accumulate wealth, the biomedical model and sought to Politics of the Mind: not meet social need, and this leads understand the meaning behind mental Marxism and Mental to widespread alienation and mental distress by linking it directly to life distress. He knew that to understand experiences. Distress those feelings we must look at the Bookmarks, 2017, £9.99, The use of asylums and social and economic circumstances, 9781910885659 institutionalization reduced over reject biological determinism and time as ‘community care’ became the Reviewed by Susan Clark instead look at how people react to buzzword in managing mental illness. their life experiences. The stigma attached to mental illness he book is a study of the causal reduced and the author discusses link between capitalism and the the resultant growth of the mental high levels of mental illness and T health movement from the 1970s distress in society today. Indeed, this onwards. This involved service users, is the central argument of the book. radical social work and professionals The author provides worrying statistics. campaigning to give the mentally ill a The World Health Organisation states voice by demanding better treatment that depression affects 350 m people and services. around the world and further evidence shows that mental illness is inextricably In conclusion, living under capitalism linked to poverty, affecting in greater is responsible for mental distress. numbers the unemployed or low paid. Mental illness is not solely down Workers are put under considerable to the individual, either through pressure to produce more. Stagnant some physical cause or lack of moral wages, precarious work and rising living fortitude; it has political and social costs result in poverty, indebtedness causes. It is the result of the capitalist and alienation. Combined with a lack of obsession with the accumulation of effective union resistance and collective wealth at the expense of meeting the action, this has resulted in an epidemic basic social and emotional needs of of work-related stress responsible for a society. The resultant inequality, 45% of absences from work in 2015/16. oppression and alienation lead It’s interesting that while the number to feelings of powerlessness and, of working days lost to strike action The author provides historical context ultimately, mental distress. Rather than has gone down, the number of days by exploring and critiquing the treating the individual to be able to live lost to stress-related illness has risen dominant models used to assess and in an unliveable world, our response exponentially. Social care and welfare treat mental illness, beginning from should be to fight to change society for benefits have been savagely cut in the religious explanations that ‘madness’ the better through collective action. name of austerity. The unemployed was a punishment meted out by the As we see a renewed interest in are threatened with a brutal sanctions gods or due to demon possession, socialist politics, the author has regime if they fail to find work. The through to the dominant biomedical chosen the right time to produce a disabled are forced to undergo work model that holds organic causes such comprehensive study on the Marxist/ capability assessments that aren’t fit as chemical imbalances responsible socialist debates surrounding mental for purpose and usually result in their for mental illness. The solution is often distress. Its sources include mental benefits being stopped, inevitably seen as medication and Ferguson draws health service users, as well as leading leading to mental ill health. our attention to the link between the names in psychiatry including Freud, over-prescription of anti-depressants Ferguson is, therefore, correct in his Laing and Sedgewick. The book is and the financial relationship between assertion that the crisis in mental detailed but the information and the psychiatry profession and health has become one of the key debates are presented in a clear pharmaceutical industry. Psychiatry issues of the twenty first century and and accessible way. You can tell that has a gruesome history and the use that it has two aspects: the extent Ferguson is very passionate about the of barbaric treatments such as ECT, of mental illness and the nature and subject, showing great compassion and insulin induced comas and lobotomies availability of mental health services solidarity with those living with mental is explored. A detailed account and to deal with it. He addresses this by distress and those working to treat critique is also provided of Freud’s providing a detailed account of Marx’s them. radical ideas on sexual repression and materialist perspective on mental the use of psychoanalysis. health. Marx recognized that humans have basic material needs that must The author points out that attitudes to Susan Clark is a Socialist Workers’ Party be met to maintain our physical and mental health change during periods (SWP) member in Glasgow and a third mental wellbeing and survival. Unlike of social upheaval such as in the sector worker other animals, we have a conscious 1960s with the development of the ability to control our own labour anti-psychiatry movement. The most which should provide us with a sense famous proponent of this was the of freedom. However, the main drive controversial psychiatrist, RD Laing, 27 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Neil Findlay with Jeff Homes, brother John’s 50th birthday party’. evident during his bid for the Scottish Socialism and Hope: Well, my wife and I went out to Labour leadership. You can read this dinner with my parents last night, but two ways. Is he going the way of the a journey through are you bothered? popular perception of politicians in turbulent times, You have to assume that anyone that they’re more interested in the Luath, 2017, £12.99, 9781912147274 who sets out to keep a diary doesn’t mechanics of politics than doing do so with the intention of having it the job, or is it just part and parcel Reviewed by Finlay Smith published so they can be as vicious of what committed politicians have to put up with? Personally I prefer eil Findlay’s Socialism and as they like when referring to others, the latter, although it is open to Hope follows him on his path and here Findlay doesn’t hold back. interpretation and an intriguing through Scottish politics Characters are described variously N as ‘bitter and spiteful’, ‘a sycophant’, element of the book. between 2014 and 2016. These were, of course, turbulent times ‘a cretin’, ‘a pompous git’, and so it The ‘hope’ part of the book’s title featuring ‘indyref’, the detonation of goes. I won’t spoil the fun by naming shines through in the section the Labour Party, a Scottish Labour names except to record that he really, following Labour’s disastrous showing leadership contest and a General really, really can’t stick Jim Murphy. in the 2015 General Election, where Election. Difficult times indeed. Being The diary style does allow you to the surprise election of Corbyn as a leading member of the Scottish follow our hero as he develops as a leader precedes the remarkable Labour Party gives him a front row politician. There’s evident naivety renaissance of the party. As a seat, so you get first hand insight early on when he shares his opinion bonus you get a foreword from the into the peculiar world of politics and that being an MEP must be the most leader himself. Overall, this is an politicians. boring job in the world and that most intermittently entertaining book but it will only appeal to those with The book for the most part is written people haven’t a clue what MEPs do. a sound grasp of recent Scottish in diary style with the exception of a Breaking news, Neil - a whole lot of politics, or someone with a keen brief introduction and an afterword. people don’t know what MSPs do interest in Jim Murphy bashing. The introduction gives an outline either. He is also (unintentionally) of Findlay the man, and he seems a funny when he states: ‘We are calling Finlay Smith is a manager in part genuinely nice, honest, hardworking for radical federalism across the UK, of the aviation business, an ex-RAF and funny chap. However, his retaining a redistributive system of officer and an atypical lifelong Labour endearing habit of referring to his taxation and the Barnett formula but fan. with double devolution to regions parents as ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ means it ______takes a while to shake a vision of and communities; if only Labour The Broons from your head. He was would say the same, I’m sure the William Clare Roberts, referendum would be won quite a late starter in politics having spent Marx’s Inferno: The easily’. There you go. Simple as that! time as a bricklayer, cook, student Political Theory of and teacher before getting a leg up into his current profession by the Capital, marvellous, Tam Dalyell. Princeton University Press, 2018, £19.95, 9780691172903 After that you’re straight into the diary, which must rate as the second Reviewed by Sean Sheehan laziest way to write a book after Marx’s Inferno is an interpretation of the illustrated celebrity biography. Volume One of Marx’s Capital based The big picture is, of course, politics on the idea that Dante’s Inferno, the in Scotland, but there’s no-one to first part of the Divine Comedy, was paint the picture for you. You need appropriated by Marx as a literary a knowledge of the zeitgeist to have framework. The argument is that a hope to following the plot, but I he rewrites the Inferno as a descent assume anyone who chooses to read into the social Hell of the capitalist this book would be so prepared. So mode of production. The argument you’re flying solo, but you may also is an intriguing and appealing one choose to first set your watch to 1975 and the author William Clare Roberts if you want to tune into Neil Findlay’s marshals evidence to support his personal politics. contention. It certainly carries an You can gallop through the book As the months go by Neil’s interest authentic poetic truth given that very quickly, due in part to a lot of it grows in focus groups, opinion polls, we are living witnesses to the social being filler. A random example: ‘6th TV debates, who’s backing who perdition currently being experienced December: For the first time in ages for what and who said what about by ordinary, hardworking people. I had a quiet day then went to my somebody else. This is particularly Dante believed Hell’s punishments 28 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 transformed into the system of English parliament’s Navigation Acts capital that dominates people’s forbidding Scottish and Irish ships lives. Marx’s Inferno is a rewarding from trading with the American but not an easy read. At times, too colonies. Obviously, things were not much space is devoted to bickering going well for us but a damn sight with other commentators on Marx better than for Finland where, as and the prose is generally dry and column three points out, one third humourless. Along the way, though, of the population were killed off by there is plenty to get your theoretical famine in these years.. Oh, and the teeth into; just be sure to also have Prussian army adopted the goose a copy of Capital Volume 1 as a step. Scotland Connected is a timely companion volume. work as there are forces which appear to be presenting the United Sean Sheehan is author of ‘Žiżek: A Kingdom as the planet’s best friend Guide for the Perplexed’ (Continuum, past and present – forever grateful 2012) and’ A Guide to Herodotus’ for the Empire and, therefore, eager Histories’ (Bloomsbury, 2018). to give us the sweetest trade deals Anna Groundwater, - while simultaneously presenting a singulary isolationist view towards Scotland Connected: nations which we have worked with a timeline for Scottish for a century. Remember the pre Great War Times headline ’Fog in history in the wider Channel. France cut off. Now, of were proper remuneration for world, course, all of Europe would be cut off. earthly sins; Tory theology considers Luath,£9.99, 9781908373625 This is a great wee book for anyone austerity as a necessary measure to interested in how our own wee Reviewed by Donald McCormick sustain the economic system without country at the edge of Europe fitted unduly hurting those who profit most nna Groundwater suggests in with the rest of the World. A useful from it. that the reader should not sit and fascinating read so go and buy it down and read her book from now! The second main argument of A end to end but to ‘Dip in and dip out. Marx’s Inferno is that Capital is a It might be better to come to it in Donald McCormick is a retired history critical response to other versions the spirit of enquiry, or exploration.’ of socialist radicalism in Britain and teacher, anti-ideologue and a grumpy This is very sound advice. Scotland optimist. France during the 1860s and 1870s. Connected quickly This is where the book tends to get becomes addictive as side lined with academic arguments one moves from the left about the work of William Thomson, hand column (Scotland) Robert Owen and the anarchist, as the lead-in with Joseph Proudhon. A virtue and value an event in Scottish of Marx’s Inferno for non-specialist history that takes our readers is that page references are to interest, moves to the the Penguin edition of Capital Volume middle column (British 1. Reading Capital is a daunting task Isles) to see what was without the help of a commentary happening in the near but, by following up references of neighbourhood at the Roberts to particular sections and same time and then paragraphs, a sign posted way in moves to the final to reading Marx’s magnum opus is column (The World) provided. to have a look at the wider context. Capital, as borne out by current events, is incapable of self-control. As a random example There is a discipline to the market but from the book let us it is one that champions the rule of take the pre Union commodities – material and virtual period 1695-1698: ones – and a world where people Poor harvests have have to sell their labour power to the had a negative owners of the means of production impact on the for a wage. By appropriating Dante’s Scottish economy, Inferno, the sins of individuals are exacerbated by the 29 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 VLADIMIR McTAVISH’S Kick up the Tabloids

t is seldom that this column or persons unknown. Furthermore, always looks absolutely petrified opens with a message of the assumption that it was ‘almost when making such announcements. Icongratulations to the Leader certainly Russia’ who carried out Indeed, she has recently adopted of the Scottish Conservative Party. the attack ignores a number of the demeanour of someone being Well done, Ruth Davidson. This is facts. subjected to non-elective colonic truly an historic occasion. It is the irrigation. Sergei Skripal was no human rights first time in the history of Scottish activist - he was an ex-spy, a trained Hearing they were facing the full politics, that a party leader has killer. He had doubtless carried out wrath of our armed forces must become pregnant in order to get a numerous similar attacks on other have had the guys in the Kremlin few new photo opportunities. After people in countless countries across quaking in their boots, although being snapped by the press driving the globe in the course of his career. more probably shaking in their tanks and riding bucking broncos, He had doubtless managed to piss seats with laughter, as they waited Ruth is looking to be portrayed in off a number of different groups for our one aircraft carrier to steam a softer light. I imagine that, after up the Baltic, only to wait another three election campaigns where of people over the years. Indeed, when you work in espionage, it kind five years for its aircraft to be Davidson was presumably being delivered. rebuffed by young parents, she has of goes with the territory. If you are concluded that the only way she a defector or a double-agent, the Quite who will suffer from the can be photographed kissing a baby chances are that you have pissed- range of sanctions announced is to have one of her own. off twice as many people as your against Russia is anyone’s guess. normal run-of-the-mill one-country With their tit-for-tat expulsion of The young Davidson-Wilson will spook. British diplomats from Moscow, the be born into a markedly different The guy could have been attacked only people likely to be affected world to that of the 1950s when I are English people at the World first entered this world. I am now by the KGB, the Russian mafia, MI5, MI6, Mossad, the CIA, or Cup. Undoubtedly a few daft idiots sixty years old and have lived in will get drunk, lose their passports Britain all of my life. However, my various rogue elements previously employed by any of the above. He and get arrested for starting fights father was adopted and two of my outside nightclubs. And, that’s just could even have got on the wrong grandparents were born outside the players. the UK. It is only in the last few side of a truly evil organisation such weeks that it has occurred to me as Amazon. May, of course, further announced that the UK Government and the that I may be living in this country Also, let’s face it: if the Russian Royal Family would not be going to illegally. state was out to do the bloke in, the World Cup, which left everyone I tend to think they would have The scandal of the Windrush in Scotland totally unimpressed. made a bloody sight better fist of Generation is obscene on so many After all, we decided last October doing the job. They tend to kill you levels. What I find most disgusting that we won’t be going to this off in a much more clinical way is that this Government behaves as year’s World Cup. if people who were born here and than leaving a few traces of itching have worked their entire adult life powder on your door handle. Even for the NHS have less right to stay British intelligence is a good deal Vladimir McTavish will be appearing in the UK, and less entitlement to more efficient at making people at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, hospital treatment than a recently- disappear. I am sure most readers George Street, Edinburgh at this defected former Soviet agent. remember the UK agent who year’s Fringe with his solo show ‘25 was found strangled, handcuffed, As there has been so much over- Years Of Stand-Up’ from Friday 3 to trussed-up and zipped into a sports exaggeration surrounding the Sergei Sunday 26 August at 6.50pm each bag, whose death was passed off as Skripal affair, it is important to put night (except Tuesday 14) www. ‘suicide’. the whole matter into some kind of thestand.co.uk perspective. It was not, as claimed ‘Russia will face the full wrath of by Theresa May, ‘an attack on Britain’ bellowed May. Like some Britain’. It was an attack in Britain latter-day Churchill, only without on a former Russian spy by person the excuse of being drunk, our PM 30 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 105 May/June 2018 Congratulations to the TUC on its 150th anniversary

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