John Lannon, for IMI-Standpunkt, has written this article on the continued use of Shannon Airport by US military forces Shannon Airport, situated on the west coast of Ireland, used to be a busy civilian airport. The Irish government gave tax breaks for companies to set up manufacturing facilities in the nearby Shannon Free Zone;…
Better Together, UKIP, the Orange Order And the UK State – What they have in common
Allan Armstrong (RCN) digs a little deeper into the provocations being mounted by UKIP and the Orange Order on the weekend (12-13th September) before the Scottish independence referendum. This weekend the people of Scotland face the double whammy of Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP and the Orange Order, in their bid to save the Union.…
To Scotland With Love: A Report From The ‘London Says Yes’ Rally On September 6th
Mark France of Left Unity’s Scottish Republic Yes Tendency reports on a London meeting in solidarity with the Scottish independence campaign Sometimes a day is a long time in politics. On the morning of Saturday 6 September, as delegates were preparing for the TUC conference in Liverpool, thousands of other activists were descending on London…
Ireland And Scotland – Mutual Solidarity
Below we are posting two contributions which highlight the link for the struggle for self-determination in Scotland and Ireland. 1. BERNADETTE McALISKEY ADDRESSES THE ‘LONDON SAYS YES’ RALLY On Saturday, September 6th, Bernadette McAliskey spoke at a ‘London Says Yes’ rally organised by the Republican Socialist Alliance to show their support for those voting for…
Up To And Beyond The September 18th Independence Referendum – A Socialist Republican Perspective
Allan Armstrong (RCN) has written an account of the Scottish independence campaign since the SNP launched its official ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign in 2012 up until the last two weeks before the September 18th referendum. This is based on several contributions Allan has already made on this blog. It is also a contemporary update of his…
Wales And Scottish Independence – Leanne Wood, President of Plaid Cymru
Last year, in the run-up to the second RIC Conference, the Edinburgh branch put forward a proposal to organise a session on ‘Internationalism from below and the break-up of the UK, with speakers from Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales, This was agreed agreed and Mary McGregor (Dundee RIC), Bernadette McAliskey, Steve Freeman (Republican Socialist Alliance…
The Empire Strikes Back
Jim Slaven of the James Connolly Society wrote the following article for the Irish-based 1916 Societies. Here Jim examines the implications of the Scottish referendum for Ireland. As Scotland enters the final three months of the independence referendum campaign it remains too close to call. The No campaign have been consistently ahead throughout but the gap has…
The Further Decline Of The ‘New Unionist’ Settlement In Northern Ireland
In the following two articles from Socialist Democracy (Ireland), John McAnulty of chronicles the further decline of the ‘New Unionist’ settlement in Northern Ireland. 1) ON THE RUNS – CONCESSIONS TO SINN FEIN WERE MERE SMOKE AND MIRRORS When Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss was nominated to head an enquiry into child sexual abuse by leading politicians,…
Emancipation & Liberation – Radical Independence Campaign Special Bulletin, August, 2014
Below can be found the two articles from the third of the RCN’s Radical Independence Campaign Special bulletins. BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER RIC activists across Scotland are doing an amazing job leafleting, canvassing and organising meetings and events to help win a Yes vote. Many of us are aware, though, that irrespective of whether the…
Solidarity From England
E&L is posting the leaflet handed out at the Peoples Assembly conference in London by supporters of the Scottish Republic Yes Tendency in the new Left Unity Party. AGAINST TORY AUSTERITY SCOTLAND VOTE YES On September 18th Scotland will vote for or against the 1707 Act of Union. A ‘Yes’ majority is in the interests…