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How do we organise resistance to pandemic capitalism?
It is crucial for socialists to engage in struggles such as strikes and community campaigns in order to escape isolation. This approach allows us to reject both the elitism of those who believe they are the ‘vanguard’ but also the utopianism of those who reject consciously constructed organisation.
Scotland: Following UK into Covid-19 failure
Scotland has followed the UK Government’s approach to the Coronavirus pandemic, even as the UK’s death rates out-paced those of many other countries. Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay says the Scottish Government’s approach of maintaining ‘lock step‘ with the UK is costing lives.
Comply or Die: Scottish Labour and indyref2
The 2019 General Election further emphasised Scottish Labour’s decline, and its struggle to adapt to constitutional politics. Lauren Gilmour, a Scottish Labour and trade union activist, makes the case for the party to re-orientate towards a defence of Scotland’s right to a referendum on independence.
Deeper into the break-up
The 2019 General Election will have many far-reaching consequences. The most urgent in Scotland is it’s capacity to accelerate the constitutional crisis. We must address the heart of political developments on these islands, in the profound democratic crisis argues David Jamieson.
Radicalism now more than ever
Speaking at the Radical Independence conference in Glasgow this weekend (26 Oct) trade unionist Suki Sangha warned that we need a politics that reaches beyond rival wings of the British establishment. We reproduce it here as the British state leaps deeper into crisis with the likelihood of a general election.
20 years on: Against the Devocrats
The Scottish Parliament was opened on 1 July 1999. It represented the culmination of decades of shifting political plates, and also the opening of a long awaited new era. But has it failed to escape the fundamental realities of social relations under capitalism? For the Conter Editorial Board, Rory Scothorne provides his panorama of the devolution era landscape, and calls for a rebellion against the ‘Devocracy’ that has installed itself at Holyrood.
Shifting the SNP on Foreign Policy
‘Bairns, not Bombs’ was a rallying cry for many independence supporters during the 2014 referendum, but many campaigners on the left feel this is undermined by the Scottish National Party’s NATO commitments. Lewis Akers argues Sturgeon’s government has slowly but surely shifted on foreign policy but that there’s scope for activists in and out the party to bring about change…
On Scottish Labour's IndyRef Trauma
Only days after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he “wasn’t ruling out” consenting to a second Scottish independence referendum, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard seemed to signal this weekend it’s completely off the table if the party gets into power. But Rory Scothorne, writer and activist with Labour Campaign for Socialism, says Scottish Labour is ultimately still traumatised by the independence referendum and won’t be able to get over it until it develops a plan to transform the structures of the British state…
The Yes Movement & The Left
A number of crises and disagreements have left many pro-independence socialists and activists feeling alienated from the wider Yes movement in recent months. But while many hesitate to wave saltires at nationalist-led rallies, Allan Armstrong argues the left needs to put aside reservations and engage with the All Under One Banner demonstrators. In this long read, he charts the winding fortunes of the Yes movement, the circumstances in which it has been maintained and evaluates how we reached this point...
On the 'People's Vote'
With the Conservatives' incompetent handling of Brexit becoming more terrifying by the day, many on the left have become increasingly sympathetic to calls for a final vote on the Brexit deal between the UK and European Union. But Rory Steel of SNP Socialists says socialists, particularly on the pro-independence left, must reject the People's Vote campaign's demands for several reasons...
Orange Order: Enemy of the Working Class?
For the loyalist community in Scotland, the Orange marches are a source of pride and an opportunity to celebrate their culture. However, the vast majority of Scots oppose the marches on the grounds they are hateful and bigoted. David Swanson argues that socialists must be vigilant and take a firmer stand against them if we're to instil solidarity across the working classes...
On Class, Geography & 'One Scotland'
The SNP's rallying cry of 'Stronger for Scotland' has until recently carried the party from one success to the next. In a recent piece, Perthshire North MP Pete Wishart argues “we have to get to a One Scotland approach”. SNP member and founder of left wing pressure group Neutral Scotland Tejas Mukerji asks the question: which Scotland?
On Single Market Politicking
The Brexit fallout has had caused as much rancour on the left as it has on the right. John Webber offers an analysis of Labour and the SNP's current positions, the limitations of both and why he thinks left wing forces need to unite to fight back against capitalists who have hijacked the issue...
Critiquing the Nordic Model
Much has been made about the SNP's new “blueprint” for an independent Scotland, which indicates a move away from the mooted Nordic model towards a more neo-liberal prospectus. But Hugh Cullen, Scottish Socialist Party organiser in the Lothians and member of the party's NEC, argues the Nordic model itself is no quick fix and fails to address key issues...
On Leonard, Corbyn & the National Question
The election of Richard Leonard as Scottish Labour leader has led socialists on both sides of the constitutional divide to reevaluate their allegiances. Ross Walker of IMT Scotland argues left wingers in Labour and the SNP need to work together on key issues to push radical transformation across the country...
The Opportunities of Independence
The issue of Scottish independence continues to divide anti-capitalists, just as it does mainstream political parties. With the mooted second referendum on hold, we ask contributors to consider the bread and butter issues that surround independence. Writer Gabriel Neil argues a new constitution and status quo would benefit radicals seeking change in society...
Russia: The Bogeyman at Scotland's Door
Former first minister Alex Salmond's decision to launch a chat show on the state funded Russia Today platform has caused consternation among Scotland's politicians, pundits and journalists. David Jamieson says it has also brought an unwelcome menace to Scotland's door.
