The RCN will be debating new amendments to our ‘What We Stand For’ on our annual weekend away being held on November 8th. The first set of amendments proposed by Allan Armstrong were posted at:- http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2014/08/09/proposed-amendments-to-the-rcns-what-we-stand-for/. Eric Chester has proposed another set of amendments, which are posted below. Add to point 5: We call for…
AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 18th REFERENDUM VOTE – A socialist republican response
In the aftermath of the September 18th Scottish independence referendum, Allan Armstrong (RCN) updates his earlier piece (http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2014/09/03/up-to-and-beyond-the-september-18th-independence-referendum-a-socialist-republican-perspective/). A Movement-in-the-making The campaign for Scottish independence has been the largest movement for popular democracy seen in these islands since the Irish War of Independence. In terms of electoral participation it was unprecedented. Voter registration was 97%…
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…
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…
This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land
Ray Burnett, who lives in Benbecula, wrote the following article for Bella Caledonia on the continuing significance of the ‘Land Question’ in Scotland. ‘Divide and rule’. It’s the oldest game in town, so why on earth do we fall for it? Set up the polarities: Highlander/Lowlander, Gaidheal/Gall, local/incomer, crofter/environmentalist and let rancour commence. Scotland fractures,…
Proposed Amendments To The RCN’s ‘What We Stand For’
The Republican Communist Network (Scotland) can be considered a ‘work on progress’. The principles upon which we stand can be summed up in our ‘What We Stand For’. However, these are not fixed but are changed through new knowledge gained in the struggles we are engaged in. The last change was made in May 2012…
The Telling Of Two Press Releases. One A Balls Up, The Other From The Hamster On The Wheel
Jerry Hicks of there rank and file Grassroots UNITE campaign, who opposed Len McCluskey for General Secretary, writes of the significance of two press reloads, one from Ed Balls, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, the other from McCluskey. On a day of press releases, two stand out. One from Unite’s Len McCluskey, the other from Labour’s Ed…
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…