John Lanigan (RCN) attended the book launch of YES: The Radical Case for Independence, written by James Foley and Pete Ramand of the International Socialist Group and the Radical Independence Campaign. The book was launched at the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sunday March 30th. Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, James Foley and Pete Ramand spoke. Below is…
‘Internationalism From Below’ In Action At The Left Unity Conference And The Radical Independence Campaign National Forum
Steve Freeman of the Republican Socialist Alliance in England writes the following report of the Left Unity Conference held in Manchester on March 29th. This was held on the same day as the National Forum of the Radical Independence Campaign in Perth. There was a remarkably good showing for the RSA motion, in the face…
Let’s All End Our Abusive Relationship With The UK State
Below is the lead article from the Republican Communist Network RIC Special Bulletin, first distributed at the RIC National Forum in Perth, on March 29th. This was handed out along with the Republican Socialist Alliance bulletin, Hands off the people of Scotland (Hands Off The People Of Scotland – Solidarity From England) made for the Left…
Hands Off The People Of Scotland – Solidarity From England
The following motion will be placed before the Left Unity Conference in Manchester on March 29th. It was initiated by members of the Republican Socialist Alliance in England. Steve Freeman, of the RSA, addressed the RIC National Conference in Glasgow on November 23rd, 2013. The Daily Telegraph (16 March 2014) claimed that the 2015 general election would be…
Undercover But Within Sites – Police Infiltration Of Trade Unions
Emancipation & Liberation has been covering the long term of blacklisting of building worker, Brian Higgins. Brian has also been involved over many years in a struggle with the UCATT bureaucracy. More recently, developments over Stephen Lawrence have highlighted the use of undercover police to infiltrate defence campaigns. Here Mark Metcalf reveals how the police infiltrated…
US Trade Unions: Waiting For Godot
James Fearon (Socialist Democracy-Ireland) argues that a lost vote for United Automobile Workers union recognition at Chattanooga in Tennessee shows US workers distrust of union partnership policies while Walmart and fast food workers illustrate power of rank and file organisation. He also draws some parallels with UNITE, which organises workers throughout these islands. Recent events…
Tony Benn: A man of principle and radical democrat
Bob Goupillot (RCN) provides this tribute to Tony Benn, who died on 14th March. At 7.30 this morning I heard that Tony Benn had died. I first heard him speak in Darlington in the late 1970’s. I was in my early twenties. That speech and subsequent ones plus two of his books; Arguments for Socialism and…
On How The Vestigial Left Is Failing To Understand The Political Life Of Scotland Today
Murdo Ritchie (RCN) provides his response to the Red Paper Collective’s critique of the Scottish SNP government’s White Paper. THE RED PAPER ON THE WHITE PAPER or HOW NOT TO UNDERSTAND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE As moves toward Scottish national independence happen, the “mainstream” camps have presented their visions, but on the fringes lots of different illusions…
Sinn Fein On The Run As Settlement Slips Further TO The Right
After the demise of the Haas Talks, the Unionists, playing to the Loyalist gallery, are pushing even further to unravel the original Good Friday Agreement. In this article, John McAnulty of Socialist Democracy (Ireland) explains the significance of the latest ‘on-the-runs’ issue. Another week, another crisis. The Irish peace process continues to have popular support (or at…
Ukraine – A Ukrainian Left And Russian Left View
Below we are publishing twe articles from Ukraine. The first is from the Autonomous Workers Union in Kyiv/Kiev, the second from well-known Russian socialist oppositionist, Boris Kagarlitsky, first published in the Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal. 1. A STATEMENT FROM AWU/KIEV The overthrow of the authoritarian regime of Yanukovych by no means signifies for…