Allan Armstrong writes about the contribution made by Paddy Bort, who died on February 17th, to our understanding of Scottish and Irish cultural and political links. PADDY BORT – 1954-2017 Eberhard Bort, Germano-Scot and Germano-Irish by choice, “in essence the ultimate European”, and known to most acquaintances in Scotland and Ireland as Paddy, died unexpectedly on…
BREXIT COUNTER-REVOLUTION
We are posting the following article by Steve Freeman of the LUP and RISE and the Campaign for European Republican Socialist Party, which was first posted at:– http://www.republicansocialists.org.uk/blog/. BREXIT COUNTER-REVOLUTION Every popular rebellion or revolution produces its equal and opposite reaction in counter-revolution. England’s national uprising against the EU was won and lost on 23…
STORMONT’S “CASH FOR ASH” SCANDAL – continued
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has announced that that he is stepping down as Stormont’s Depute First Minister. This move has been taken to precipitate an election in the face of the DUP First Minister, Arlene Foster’s role in the “Cash for Ash” scandal. McGuinness’s decision has been taken with great reluctance, since it puts into question Sinn Fein’s…
SCOTLAND’S REPUBLIC
Steve Freeman of the Republican Socialist Alliance, RISE and LUP, looks at possible futures for the UK in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. SCOTLAND’S REPUBLIC In her speech to the Tory conference Theresa May promised the Brexit revolution which would bring power back to the UK. She declared “change is going to come”…
ANTI-WAR PROTESTS IN GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH
MONTHLY VIGIL OF SCOTTISH PEACE NETWORK THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22nd, 17.00-18.00 Donald Dewar Statue, top of Buchanan Street, Glasgow This month we will focus on the Christmas truce that took place in 1914 and the implications of that important event on the peace movement today. We will hold a brief rally as part of the…
REACTIONARY UNIONISM SHOWS ITS TRUE COLOURS
We are posting two more articles from the Socialist Democracy (Ireland) highlighting entrenched corrupt and sectarian nature of the Stormont set-up. 1. THE STORMONT RHI SCANDAL AND THE CALLS FOR RESIGNATION WHY STOP AT ARLENE? At a cost to the public purse of almost £500 million there is no doubting the level of corruption and…
BEFORE AND AFTER THE ‘RETURN OF THE BRUTE’
As the official celebrations and the unofficial commemorations of the centenary of the First World War continue, many personal accounts, poems and novels written about this period have been published or republished. One novel, not yet republished, is Return of the Brute, written by Liam O’Flaherty. David Trotter, in The Cambridge Companion to The Literature…
DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE EMANCIPATION & LIBERATION BLOG ABOUT THE EU AND BREXIT
Our Emancipation & Liberation blog has posted articles about the EU and Migration since it was set up. The earlier postings covered the Republican Communist Network’s involvement, when it was a platform in the Scottish Socialist Party. The first debate was in 2002 over whether the SSP should back joining the euro in the event of a referendum…
FROM THE GPO TO THE WINTER PALACE
Rayner O’Connor Lysaght (Socialist Democracy-Ireland) has written a pamphlet entitled From the GPO to the Winter Palace, outlining the period between the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin and the 1917 October Revolution in Petrograd. As part of our 1916 Rising centenary postings, Rayner’s talk given to the Irish Labour History Conference in Dublin on Saturday, October…
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN RISE AND LEFT UNITY
RISE held a national members’ meeting in Glasgow on saturday 3rd December. The leaflet ‘Building an alliance between RISE and Left Unity’ was circulated. Steve Freeman and Allan Armstrong (of the Republican Socialist Alliance – RSA) addressed the meeting. Steve has subsequently written a report for Left Unity. These two anti-Unionist alliance items have been…