This pamphlet, written by Steve Freeman of the Republican Socialist Alliance, provides the reasons why the people of England should support a ‘Yes’ vote in the Scottish referendum of September 18th. The pamphlet is a summary of arguments used over the summer of 2014 in the run up to the Scottish referendum. The context…
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…
A Letter To Scotland’s New Radicals – Gerry Hassan
The writer and political commentator, Gerry Hassan, has written the following letter to “Scotland’s New Radicals”, including the Radical Independence Campaign. Gerry raises some pertinent questions, so we asked him if we could repost his article. Gerry agreed. We hope to post a reply quite soon. Radical Scotland’s re-emergence and re-invigoration around the independence referendum has been one…
Protesting Against The UK Government’s Launch Of The First World War Commemoration In Glasgow On August 4th.
Eric Chester (RCN) reports on the official opening of the UK government’s First World War commemoration in Glasgow on August 4th. The UK government is determined to use the commemoration of World War I as an opportunity to promote militarism and imperialism and to defend the British role during that war. The last part of…
One Hundred Years Of Counter-Revolution
Kool34 sent us a comment on the articles in our recent bulletin on the First World War (Emancipation & Liberation Special Bulletin – The Centenary of the World War I Imperialist Slaughter). This comment invited us to read the following article by Mark Kosman. We are pleased to draw this to the attention of our readers. In 1871,…
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,…