Emancipation & Liberation

Feb 09 2020

TWO SCOTTISH RESPONSES TO THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION

Category: Against Unionism,Combined struggles for Emancipation, Liberation and National Self-Determination,England,How we organise,Ireland,Scotland,The crisis on the Left,Wales — RCN @ 2:16 pm

We are posting two responses to the results of the December 12th general election, the first from activists within the Scottish Labour Party and the second form Gavin Lundy, National Convenor of Young Scots for Independence.

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1. Open Letter: Scottish Labour for Radical Democracy

(this was first posted at:- https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2019/12/15/open-letter-scottish-labour-for-radical-democracy)

We demand radical self-determination for Scotland. The Scottish people have, in successive elections to both Holyrood and Westminster, elected majorities in favour of a new referendum on independence. Setting aside the arguments for and against independence, we must not allow a hardline Tory government – which has no mandate here – to override Scotland’s democratic will.

Should all attempts to secure a second referendum by legal and constitutional means be obstructed by the UK government, we support an escalating strategy of non-cooperation and civil disobedience against that government, pursued at all possible levels: from the Scottish Government legislating on, or refusing to cooperate with, matters ‘reserved’ to Westminster, to grassroots non-violent direct action within and outwith Scotland. Continue reading “TWO SCOTTISH RESPONSES TO THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION”

Tags: Blue Labour, December 12th general election, Fabians, Gavin Lundy, Ged Killen, Greens, Jess Phillips MP, Labour Party, Lisa Tandy, Momentum, Monica Lennon MSP, Neil Findlay MSP, Scottish government, Scottish Labour for Radical Democracy, SNP, Young Scots for Independence

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Feb 04 2020

THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION AND INDEPENDENT SOCIALISTS ACROSS THESE ISLANDS

Allan Armstrong has published an article entitled From Illusions in a Lexit Brexit to a Disillusioned Lexit from Brexit Politics (https://allanarmstrong831930095.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/socialists-and-december-12th-election-3.pdf) The contents of this book are shown below, followed by the last two chapters and conclusion. This article follows The Impact of the December 12th General Election across the Constituent Parts of the UK. (http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2020/01/24/the-impact-of-the-december-12th-general-election-across-the-constituent-parts-of-the-uk/)

This article is a follow up of The End of Short-lived Maybynism and the Victory of Full–blown Right Populism? (https://allanarmstrong831930095.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/the-end-of-shortlived-maybynism.pdf). A section of this also appeared on this blog, entitled The Rise of Right Populism in the Run-up to the December 12th General Election (http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2019/12/09/the-continued-rise-of-right-populism-and-reactionary-unionism/)

(A third part will be posted later addressing the Left Remain Campaign)

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FROM ILLUSIONS IN A LEXIT BREXIT TO A DISILLUSIONED LEXIT FROM BREXIT POLITICS

Contents

a) The 2015 general election provided a warning

b) After 2015 – an increasingly floundering Left

c) Northern Ireland – a different pattern

d) Reactionary unionism and Europhobic opposition to the EU

e) The largest independent Socialist parties walk into the Brexit trap

f) The official Remain and Leave campaigns – two wings of the British ruling class

g) The Lexiters’ false arguments

h) The political options open in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum

i) From 23rd May, 2016 to 8th June, 2017 – A victory for the Left or the Right?

j) ‘Independent’ Socialists and ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’!

k) Corbyn and the ‘independent’ Socialists unwittingly help Boris Johnson to victory

l) Independent socialists after the December 12th general election

m) Independent socialists in Scotland and Northern Ireland/Ireland

n) Conclusion

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THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION AND INDEPENDENT SOCIALISTS ACROSS THESE ISLANDS

1. Independent socialists after the December 12^th general election

On December 12^th, Labour’s vote share fell by 7.8% and its number of MPs decreased from 262 to 202. The Tories’ vote share rose 1.2%, but its number of MPs increased from 317 to 365. The gap in the vote share was 11.4%, 32.2% for Labour and 43.6% for the Tories.[1] Not surprisingly a shattered Jeremy Corbyn offered his resignation, opening up the prospect of a new leadership campaign. Continue reading “THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION AND INDEPENDENT SOCIALISTS ACROSS THESE ISLANDS”

Tags: '10 Pledges', All Under One Banner, Author: Allan Armstrong, Boris Johnson, Brexit, Committee for a Workers International, Cross Community Labour Alliance, Emma Thornberry, Fresh Start, International Socialist Tendency, Jeremy Corbyn, Jewish Board of Deputies, Jewish Voice of Labour, Karie Murphy, Len McCluskey, Leo Varadkar, Lexit, Lisa Tandy, Norther Ireland Committee - Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Northern Ireland, People before Profit, Radical Independence Campaign, reactionary unionism, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Republic of Ireland, Right populism, Scotland, Scottish Socialist Party, Sectarianism, Sir Keith Starmer, Socialist Party (Ireland), Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Workers Party (Ireland), SocialistParty (England and Wales)

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Jan 24 2020

THE IMPACT OF THE DECEMBER 12TH GENERAL ELECTION ACROSS THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF THE UK

Category: Against Unionism,Elections,England,How they are organised,Ireland,Radical Independence Campaign,Scotland,The EU,UK state/British imperialism,Wales — RCN @ 5:58 pm

Allan Armstrong follows up his article, The Continued Rise of Right National Populism and Reactionary Unionism in the Run-up to the December 12th General Election (http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2019/12/09/the-continued-rise-of-right-populism-and-reactionary-unionism/). He examines the impact of the general election results across the constituent parts of the UK and the prospects for the immediate future.

THE IMPACT OF THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION ACROSS THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF THE UK

a) The three possible outcomes of the December 12^thWestminster general election

b) How Corbyn’s Left social democracy, its complicity in British chauvinism and racism and its support for the UK state helped to pave the way for Johnson

c) Other factors undermining the Corbynista challenge to Johnson

d) The election results in England

e) The election results in Wales

f) The election results in Scotland

g) The election results in Northern Ireland

h) Conclusion

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Continue reading “THE IMPACT OF THE DECEMBER 12TH GENERAL ELECTION ACROSS THE CONSTITUENT PARTS OF THE UK”

Tags: '10 Pledges', 'America First'/'Britain Second', 'Its Time for Real Change', 2014 IndyRef1, 2019 EU elections, 2019 general election, Alex Salmond, All Under One Banner, Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, anti-semitism attacks, Aontu, Arlene Foster, Author: Allan Armstrong, Border poll, Boris Johnson, Brexit, Brexit Party, British jobs for British workers, Campaign for Socialism (Scotland`), Cardiff Bay, Caroline Lucas MP, Catalan Convergence and Union, Change UK, civic nationalism, Conservative Party, conservative unionism, constitutional nationalists, cultural devolution, Donald Trump, DUP, Emma Little Pengelly, England, ethnic nationalism, Extinction Rebellion, Gordon Brown, he Crown-in-parliament, Holyrood, Ian Murray, indyref2, Ireland, Irexit, Irish Freedom Party, Irish reunification, Islamophobia, Jess Phillips, Jewish Board of Deputies, Jo Swinson, John Finucane, Labour Party, Leo Varadkar, Lexit, Lib-Dems, liberal unionism, Lisa Nandy, Maybynism, Michael Gove, Minister of the Union, misogyny, Momentum, Neale Hanvey, neo-liberalism, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Dodds, Nigel Farage, Northern Ireland Executive, Partiton, People before Profit, Plaid Cymu, popular sovreignty, Progressive Unionist Party, reactionary unionism, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Red Paper Collective, Republic of Ireland, Richard Leonard, Right populism, Scotland, Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour for Radical Democracy, Scottish Resistance, SDLP, Sinn Fein, Siol nan Gaidheal, Sir Edward Carson, SNP, social democrats, Stormont, Stuart Campbell, The City of London, Theresa May, UKIP, UUP, Wales, Welsh Greens, Westminster, Wings Over Scotland, Zionists

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Jan 10 2020

FROM PRE-BRIT TO EX-BRIT

Category: Against Unionism,Combined struggles for Emancipation, Liberation and National Self-Determination,For Self-Determination: Struggles against Alienation,Ireland,Scotland,UK state/British imperialism — RCN @ 12:48 am

Allan Armstrong’s new book From Pre-Brit to Ex-Brit – The Forging and the Break-up of the UK and Britishness is now available online at:-

https://allanarmstrong831930095.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/from-pre-brit-to-ex-brit-4.pdf

Below is an outline if the book followed by a table of Contents

FROM PRE-BRIT TO EX-BRIT

An outline of the book

Today, even the United Kingdom’s most diehard defenders realise their state may not be around forever. This is one of the reasons they are putting up such an intransigent defence. And, as far as the British ruling class goes, their sense of entitlement, following their enrichment over centuries of imperialist plunder and exploitation, means there a few lengths they will not go to maintain their privileged position. Continue reading “FROM PRE-BRIT TO EX-BRIT”

Tags: Author: Allan Armstrong, From Pre-Brit to Ex-Brit - The Forging and the Break-up of the UK and Britishnessness

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Dec 09 2019

THE RISE OF NATIONAL POPULISM AND REACTIONARY UNIONISM IN THE RUN UP TO THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION

In the lead-up to the December 12th general election Allan Armstrong updates his analysis of the drift to the Right populist and reactionary unionist politics in the UK and what this possibly means for the future of the Union.

This is followed by an article by statement from the Radical Independence Campaign in Scotland on the general election.

Finally we are posting an article by Tony Greenstein, expelled Labour Party member from Brighton. He predicted the unexpected rise in support for Jeremy Corbyn in 2017, but thinks that Labour’s chances have declined in the run up to the December general election.

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THE CONTINUED RISE OF RIGHT POPULISM AND REACTIONARY UNIONISM

IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION

(A fuller explanation of what is meant by Right national populism can be found in the article:- https://allanarmstrong831930095.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/right-national-populism-16.3.19.pdf

Neither the UK nor Great Britain have ever been unitary states. All forms of unionism are based upon the unionist nature of the UK state, which has recognised England, Scotland, Ireland (later Northern Ireland) and Wales as constituent units. This has led to the adoption of various forms of hybrid Britishness.

Three key terms used in this article are:-

Conservative unionism – This acknowledges the unionist nature of the UK state through administrative devolution (or later acceptance of liberal unionist devolutionary measures which it once opposed, but have become part of the status quo)

Liberal unionism – This also accepts the unionist nature of the UK state but promotes political devolution as a better method of holding the state together

Reactionary unionism – This upholds the UK state and openly celebrates its most repressive aspects. e.g. the crown powers, the armed forces and judiciary. It is also prepared to mobilise extra-constitutional force to prevent national self-determination, greater measures of political devolution, and reverse political devolution and even some administrative devolutionary measures that have already been accepted.) Continue reading “THE RISE OF NATIONAL POPULISM AND REACTIONARY UNIONISM IN THE RUN UP TO THE DECEMBER 12th GENERAL ELECTION”

Tags: 2014 IndyRef1, 2016 EU referendum, 2019 English local elections, 2019 EU elections, 2019 Northern Ireland local elections, All Under One Banner, All Under One Banner (Cymru), Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Anti Austerity Alliance, Aontu, Author: Allan Armstrong, Better Together, Boris Johnson, Brecon & Radnorshire by-election, Brexit, Brexit Party, Committee for a Workers International, conservative unionism, constitutional nationalism, Corbynism, Criss Community Labour Alternative, December 12th general election, dissident Republicans, Dominic Cummings, Donald Trump, DUP, Greens (England and Wales), Gwylad Gwylad, indyref2, International Socialist Tendency, Irexit, Irish Freedom Party, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Swinson, Just Say Naw!, Labour Party, Left Unity Party, Lexit, Lib-Dems, Liberal Democratic Party, liberal unionism, Loyalist paramilitaries, Mark, Northern Ireland Assembly - Stormont, Northern Ireland Executive, People before Profit, Peterborough by-election, Plaid Cymru, Progressive Unionist Party, reactionary unionism, Right populism, Scottish Greens, Scottish Parliament - Holyrood, Scottish Socialist Party, SDLP, Sinn Fein, SNP, Socialist Party (Ireland), Socialist Party England and Wales, Socialist Workers Network, Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, Theresa May, Tories, Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, TUV, UKIP, UUP, Welsh Assembly - Cardiff Bay

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Oct 27 2019

THE FIGHT FOR SCOTLAND’S REPUBLIC

Category: Against Unionism,Combined struggles for Emancipation, Liberation and National Self-Determination,England,How they are organised,How we organise,Independent class organisations,Radical Independence Campaign,Scotland,The crisis on the Left,The EU,The Socialist Republican Break-up of the UK,UK state/British imperialism — RCN @ 2:05 pm

Below is the leaflet handed out by the Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party at the Radical Independence Conference, attended by 500 in Glasgow, on Saturday, October 26th.

THE FIGHT FOR SCOTLAND’S REPUBLIC

Our Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) must not think that IndyRef2 will be a repeat of the 2014 referendum, this time with victory. ‘Brexit’ has changed the dynamic. On one side, the Scottish people voted to remain and will be forced out of the EU against their will. On the other side, English nationalism has become a political force, galvanised through ‘Brexit’, to defend British sovereignty represented by the Crown-In-Parliament.

Once England, Scotland and Wales are outside the single market and customs union a major economic barrier is raised in the minds of voters. A new economic Hadrian’s Wall will frighten or be used to frighten Scottish voters against leaving the British Union. Even if this only affects five or ten percent of voters this might still make a difference.

Catalonia and Greece have shown that the Scottish people should neither trust nor rely on the EU (i.e. Germany and France with or without the UK). The EU does not support national self determination which would undermine its alliance of states.

With the rise of English nationalism, the Scottish people will have to choose between and ethnic (anti-English) nationalism or civic republicanism. In 2014 the SNP stood on the ‘civic’ side but rejected republicanism or popular sovereignty by calling for Independence under the British Crown (and the Bank of England) with the Queen happily ensconced in Balmoral Castle visited by Alex Salmond.

RIC has to rise to the new situation and be more ‘up front’ and militant in its advocacy of Scotland’s republican democracy. It has to win the nationalist movement and the SNP to popular sovereignty as expressed through republicanism and national self determination. It cannot do this if its hides its democratic republican programme under a bush.

The Tories have signalled their intention to make the next election about the threat to British ‘democracy’ posed by Labour’s support for referenda on leaving the EU and IndyRef2. Labour is a loyal Unionist not a republican party. Although John McDonnell MP said he would accept a decision by the Scottish parliament for IndyRef2 this caused a storm and cannot be relied on.

In 2015 general election the Tories played an English nationalist card about the threat from the SNP which put Ed Miliband on the defensive and clinched Cameron’s victory. Expect the same again. Scotland’s republic cannot rely on the EU or Labour anymore. The experience of the Catalan republic is instructive.

Scotland’s future republic, as represented by RIC, must be built from the ground up in every village, town and city. It must openly advocate building links with republicans in England, Ireland and Wales and importantly the working class movement in England

Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party

Continue reading “THE FIGHT FOR SCOTLAND’S REPUBLIC “

Tags: 2014 IndyRef1, Bank of England, Brexit, British Crown, Campaign for a European Republican Socialist Party, Catalonia, Customs Union, David Cameron, Ed Miliband, English nationalism, Greece, indyref2, John McDonnell, popular sovereignty, Radical Independence Campaign Conference - 26th October in Glasgow, Single Market

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Oct 22 2019

THE CONTRADICTIONS UNDERLYING BREXIT AND SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE

Category: Against Imperialism,Against Unionism,Combined struggles for Emancipation, Liberation and National Self-Determination,England,How they are organised,Ireland,Radical Independence Campaign,Scotland,The crisis on the Left,The EU,UK state/British imperialism,Wales — RCN @ 1:19 pm

Allan Armstrong sent this article to Conter, on September 13th, hoping to open up one of the debates on the Left in relation to Scottish independence, before and during the Radical Independence Campaign conference in Glasgow on October 26th. There has been no acknowledgement of this article by the Conter editor, despite Allan being a member of RISE, Conter‘s main sponsor. This seems to reflect a unwillingness, highlighted at the founding of RISE, to discuss controversial issues.

However, since then articles have appeared in Conter, or by RISE members writing for CommonSpace, which have been pro-Lexit. Allan’s article was written in an attempt to ensure that a fuller range of Left opinion was addressed on a specifically Socialist site claiming to promote wider debate. This could then contribute to the best traditions of RIC, where such controversial issues have been openly debated. A Left that is afraid to debate issues, in a democratic and respectful manner, is doomed to irrelevance.

Fortunately, both Socialist Resistance (http://socialistresistance.org/the-contradictions-underlying-brexit-and-scottish-independence/18211) and bella caledonia (https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2019/10/24/republican-internationalism-from-below/) have now posted this article.

THE CONTRADICTIONS UNDERLYING BREXIT AND SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE

To date articles in Conter addressing Brexit have concentrated more on the neo-liberal opposition, and those on the Left perceived to be tail-ending this section of the British ruling class. There has been no real analysis of the aims of the hard right and national populist advocates of Brexit, whether the Boris Johnson-led Tories, or the Nigel Farage-led UKIP and now his Brexit Party. Brexit has not been adequately placed in the context of the global rise of right national populism, highlighted by Donald Trump’s ‘Brexit, plus, plus, plus’, US presidential electoral victory in November 2016.[1] These people are still seen by some on the Left as political outsiders, despite now having their hands on the US state’s anti-democratic presidential powers and the UK state’s anti-democratic crown powers. Nor have the machinations of such ‘left’ Brexit union leaders as UNITE’s Len McCluskey been addressed.[2]

The RIC conference on 26.10.19

The Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) has formed an important arena for discussing such issues.[3] Indeed RIC’s Scottish internationalism is highlighted on its banner – ‘Another Scotland is Possible; Another Europe is Possible; Another World is Possible’. Hopefully, the October 26^th RIC conference in Glasgow will extend this opportunity for discussion related to the situation we now face. Understanding the political forces, which the Left is up against, is essential, not only in the UK and wider world, but for us in Scotland, when we consider the future for Scottish independence. Continue reading “THE CONTRADICTIONS UNDERLYING BREXIT AND SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE”

Tags: "Brexit Plus Plus Plus", 'hostile environment', 1871 Paris Commune, Alex Salmond, All Under One Banner, Author: Allan Armstrong, Boris Johnson, Brexit, Brexit Party, Brexiteers, Catalunya, CommonSpace, communes and soviets, Conter, Dominic Cummings, Donald Trump, DUP, England, EU, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Euskadi, Ireland, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Labour Party, Len McCluskey, national sovereignty, Nigel Farage, Northern Ireland, Putin, Radical Independence Campaign, RISE, Schengen Agreement, Scotland, Scottish Resistance, SNP, Soil nan Gaidheal, sovereigntists, sovereignty of Crown in Parliament, sovereignty of the people, Theresa May, Tory Right, Troika, UKIP, Wings Over Scotland, ‘Another Scotland is Possible; Another Europe is Possible; Another World is Possible’

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Sep 11 2019

SCOTLAND’S SECRET SHAME

Category: Against Unionism,Combined struggles for Emancipation, Liberation and National Self-Determination,How they are organised,How we organise,Independent class organisations,Ireland,Scotland,UK state/British imperialism — RCN @ 2:24 pm

The issue of ‘sectarianism’ in Scotland has raised its head again following loyalists attacks on republican marches in Govan on August 30th and Glasgow city centre on 7th September. Whilst the attacks made by the loyalists were on legal marches, politicians and the media have predictably fallen back on the ‘sectarian’ two tribes approach. This attempt to cover-up the central issue, the nature of Northern Ireland’s and Scotland’s relationship with the UK state, has a long history, as shown by the response of Jack McConnell

Emancipation & Liberation is publishing an abridged version of an article written in 2006 by the late Brian Higgins, which addresses the issue of ‘sectarianism’. The full version of this article can be seen on the Intfrobel.com website, where it was published for the first time this August.

(https://allanarmstrong831930095.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/scotlans-secret-shame-1.pdf)

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SCOTLAND’S ‘SECRET’ SHAME

INTRODUCTION

The issue of religious sectarianism in Scotland has been raised by Jack McConnell’s 2005 Valentines Day Summit, and by the BBC’s Panorama programme, Scotland’s Secret Shame, on Celtic and Rangers, broadcast soon afterwards. Tam Cowan has even (if unintentionally!) added impetus to this debate, illustrating the significance of the subject. He invited Jack McConnell on to his Offside programme (BBC Scotland, 6.3.06, a satirical rant at Scottish football and the SFA. He questioned McConnell about ‘Scotland’s Secret Shame’ by famously asking him, “What’s secret about it?” Cowan 1 – McConnell 0. More seriously, we have UEFA making a bizarre ruling over Rangers supporters’ sectarian behaviour, at the Championship League matches against Villareal. They initially washed their hands by declaring such behaviour to be “related to a social problem in Scotland”! Continue reading “SCOTLAND’S SECRET SHAME”

Tags: 'The Sun', 'Ulster'-Britishness, 1639-50 Civil War of the Three Kingdoms, 1690 Battle of the Boyne, 1707 Act Of Union, 1973 Sunningdale Agreement, Ahoghill, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Author: Brian Higgins, BBC 'Offside' programme, bigotry, British fascism, Celtic FC, Church of Scotland, Civi Rights Movement, Daily Record, David Murray - Rangers chairman, Dermot Desmond - Celtic chairman, Devolution-all-round, Drumcree marches, English Puritan Republicans, Gaelic culture, Harryville Church, Holy Cross Primary School, Ibrox, Irish Home Rule, Jack McConnell, Labour Party, Levellers, Lord Carson, Loyalism, Nil By Mouth, Northern Ireland, Orange Order, Panorama, Parkhead, Pope John Paul, PSNI/RUC, Rangers FC, Republicanism, Roman Abramovich, Scotland, Scotland's Secret Shame, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Scottish Presbyterians, Sectarianism, Six Counties, Stormont, Tam Cowan, The 1914 Curragh Mutiny, Ulster Unionist Party, Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Woklers' Council, United Irishmen, Valentines Day Summit 2005

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Sep 02 2019

REPUBLICANS ADDRESS THE ‘NO TO THE COUP’ DEMOS IN DUNDEE AND EDINBURGH ON AUGUST 31st

Category: Against Unionism,England,How they are organised,How we organise,Independent class organisations,Ireland,Political Campaigns,Radical Independence Campaign,Scotland,The EU,UK state/British imperialism,Wales — RCN @ 3:23 pm

On Saturday 31st August demonstrations were held throughout the UK to protest at ‘Boris’s coup’. Mary MacGregor addressed the rally held in Dundee. Allan Armstrong addressed the rally held in Edinburgh.

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Speech by Mary MacGregor

Comrades and friends,

We are living through extraordinary times. We live in a time where children go hungry, where the poor go to food banks to get by, where many live in despair and succumb to addiction, where mental health problems have reached epidemic proportions and where we are ruled over by a privileged, unelected elite. Continue reading “REPUBLICANS ADDRESS THE ‘NO TO THE COUP’ DEMOS IN DUNDEE AND EDINBURGH ON AUGUST 31st”

Tags: 'Boris coup', Another Europe Is Possible, Another Scotland Is Possible, Another World Is Possible, Author: Allan Armstrong, Author: Mary MacGregor, Boris Johnson, Brexit, Crown Powers, Crown-in-Westminster, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Radical Independence Campaign, reoublicanism, Social Justice

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Aug 30 2019

It’s the constitution stupid – After the Boris ‘coup’ let’s fUK it!

Allan Armstrong gives his response to the latest constitutional crisis hitting the UK state

It’s the constitution stupid – After the Boris ‘coup’ let’s fUK it!

Contents

A constitutional and legal coup under Crown-in-Westminster sovereignty
The UK’s growing constitutional crisis, the retreat of neo-liberalism and liberal unionism and the growth of right populism and reactionary unionism
The continued rise of right national populism and the hard right in the UK
The May 23rd Euro-elections – Farage’s right populist victory paves the way for the hard right take-over of the Tory Party
The asymmetric polarisation of UK politics
From Maybynism to Borisbynism? – Labour’s role in helping to move official politics to the right
Neo-liberal attempts to turn back the right populist challenge over Brexit
The right and centre Remainers take politics to the streets
The Lexiters’ (and Irexiters’) economism and abstract propagandism
The emergence of left Remainers, Another Europe Is Possible, and their turn to the streets
Conclusions

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A constitutional and legal coup under Crown-in-Westminster sovereignty

The decision taken by Boris Johnson and his backers to prorogue Westminster on the 28th August represents the culmination of a prolonged constitutional crisis, which began with the Scottish independence referendum between 2012-14, and has been accelerating in the aftermath of the Brexit vote in 2016. Today we have liberals (in all the mainstream British parties), and even some conservatives, bemoaning the unconstitutional and illegal nature of the decision taken by the unelected prime minister, Johnson, along with privy councillor, Jacob Rees-Mogg (Tory MP representing the eighteenth century), and the unelected head of state, queen Elizabeth. However, the UK state, based on the sovereignty of the Crown in Westminster, with its armoury of anti-democratic Crown Powers, gives enormous power to the dominant section of the British ruling class. Proroguing parliament is both constitutional and legal. Continue reading “It’s the constitution stupid – After the Boris ‘coup’ let’s fUK it!”

Tags: "English votes for English laws", 'Vote Leave', 2011 Dale Farm evictions, 2014 Scottish Independence Referndum, 2016 Euro-referendum, Aaron Banks, All Under One Banner, Alliance Party, Another Europe Is Possible, Arek Jozwik, Arlene Foster, Belfast City Flag Protests, Better Together, Boris Johnson, centre left Brexiters, centre left Remainers, Change UK, Clive Lewis, Conservative and Unionist Party, Dagmara Przybysz, dark money, David Cameron, democratic and internationalist Remainers, democratic internationalist Remainers, DiEM25, Donald Trump, DUP, Emmanuel Macron, English Defence League, European Union, Five Star Movement, George Galloway, Golden Dawn, Gordon Brown, Grassroots Leave, Greens, Grexit, Gypsies, Holyrood, Irish backstop, Jeremy Corbyn, Jo Cox, Jo Swinson, Kate Hoey, La Republique En Marche!, Left Remainers, Lega Nord, Lexiters, Lib-Dems, liberal unionism, loyalists, Manuel Cortes, Marine Le Pen, Martin McGuiness, Maybynism, Minister of the Union, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Farage, No2EU, Orange Order, People before Profit, Peoples Vote, Progressive Unionist Party, Proroguing Westminster, Radical Independence Campaign, Rassemblement National, reactionary unionism, Right national populism, Ruth Davidson, Schengen Walls, Scottish Socialist Party, Sheku Bayoh, Sinn Fein, SNP, Socialist Party of England and Wales, Socialist Party of Ireland, Socialist Worker Nerwork, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Workers Party (Ireland), Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, Stormont, SYRIZA, Tadical Independence Campaign, Theresa May, Tom Watson, Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, Travellers, Ulster Volunteer Force, Welsh Assembly, Windrush, Yanis Varoufakis

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