As our second contribution to International Women’s Day, we are posting Zan, Zendigi, Azad (Women, Life and Liberty), written by Pauline Bradley, and a review of the film Tar, by Meaghan Delahunt, which was first posted by bella caledonia. 1. ZAN ZENDIGI, AZAD (WOMEN, LIFE AND LIBERTY) Zan, Zendigi, Azad by Pauline Bradley …
Declarations of Love: review by Mary McGregor
Mary McGregor reviews Declarations of Love, poems of Jim Aitken, with drawings by Martin Gollan. Thos book is published by Culture Matters. DECLARATIONS OF LOVE Jim Aitken is truly a people’s poet. No allusions so obscure that you need volumes of classical texts to decipher. No pretensions of language so convoluted that you need a…
The language struggle and the challenge to the UK state
The following article by Allan Armstrong looks at the significance of the struggles around the issue of language in Ireland, Wales and England and how they provide a challenge to the UK state. An edited version of this was given as a talk to the Critical Labour Studies Colloqium, held in Aonach Mhacha, Armagh on…
Gordon Brown’s new report and the Supreme Court ruling
Mike Small of bella caledonia has written this response to Gordon Brown’s report ‘A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy’. He argues that this report collapses under the weight of its own incoherence. Instead of viewing this as a set of solutions for Scotland, it should be seen as Labour’s attempt to create…
Elaine Murray – a remarkable woman
Elaine Murray was a remarkable woman. Being an active trade unionist and political campaigners were just two aspects of her full and rounded life. Many people – family, partners, friends, sisters, brothers and and comrades – attended her commemoration meeting. This was held on Thursday, December 1st in the Kings Manor Hotel in Edinburgh. This commemoration…
Mary Brooksbank -125th anniversary of her birth
Hi all, Please join us in Dundee next Saturday 10th December at 1pm for our annual Mary Brooksbank commemoration, this year marking the 125th anniversary of her birth. Mary Brooksbank is Dundee’s best-known communist and trade unionist. Growing up working in the jute mills like many working class women and girls of her day, she wrote…
Welsh independence march hits the road again in Wrexham
The following article on the All Under One Banner march held in Wrexham in Saturday 2nd July, written by Geoff Ryan and Keith Sinclair, was first posted by Anti*Capitalist Resistance. WELSH INDEPENDENCE MARCH HITS THE ROAD AGAIN IN WREXHAM After a two year gap because of Covid a march for independence for Cymru finally took…
Now Ukraine
We are posting the poem Now Ukraine by Jim Aitken which will be published by Culture Matters in Jim’s forthcoming book Declarations of Love. NOW UKRAINE 1. Yes, it is absolutely ghastly and gruesome. Yes, Putin is responsible for war crimes because war itself is a crime, a failure. I started marching during the Vietnam…
The odd couple: Ruaraidh Erskine and John Maclean
We are posting this article by Johnnie Gallacher, who provided his own introduction:- As society stands hesitating at the ecological fork in the road to either ecosocialism or suicide, reflecting upon the unlikely political alliance between John Maclean, the revolutionary socialist, and Ruaraidh Erskine, the aristocratic Gaelic nationalist, can offer valuable insights. These relate to…
May Day – a Ukrainian tradition
On May Day 2022 we are posting this article from the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign about the tradition of celebrating May Day in Ukraine, MAY DAY – A UKRAINIAN TRADITION Ukraine Solidarity Campaign extends May Day greetings to the labour movement and all working people in Ukraine. May Day 2022 is taking place in circumstances…