by John Manson John Manson is a Sutherland-born, Dumfriesshire-based poet, reviewer and translator. He has published a number of poetry collections including East Sutherland and Other Poems. He has also translated Victor Serges, Carnets (1944), available at Victorserge After reading Allan Armstrong’s Beyond Broadswords and Bayonets (E&L 5/6) he wrote making the following helpful comments.…
Caught Between the Covenant and the Clans
A Reply to Allan Armstrong The full, illustrated pamphlet is available from the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement Allan Armstrong is to be commended for his excellent contribution to Scottish radical/revolutionary history, Between Broadsword and Bayonets, Emancipation & Liberation, Issue 5/6. In this piece Allan seeks to expose the left nationalist and left unionist traditions within…
Consistently democratic and vibrant?
In the Autumn 2004 edition of Emancipation and Liberation there is an editorial on The role of platforms in the SSP – Why have the RCN platform? While agreeing with much of the article at a certain point it says: One reason that platforms are suppressed is they may present a threat to the controlling…
Reply to The Role of Platforms in the SSP
The gap between the Scottish Socialist Party’s success in the Scottish Parliament election of May 2003 and the poor showing in the 2005 General Election, have led to a number of discussions and suggestions within the party. The Republican Communist Network has made its own proposals in the last two issues of Emancipation & Liberation…
Helen Macfarlane: A Feminist, Revolutionary Journalist and Philosopher in mid-nineteenth century England
by David Black, Published by Lexington Books, Maryland. Tribute to Helen Macfarlane— That the Parliament notes the forthcoming launch of the book, Helen Macfarlane: A Feminist, Revolutionary Journalist and Philosopher in mid-nineteenth century England; welcomes the fact that this radical Scotswoman will at last be rescued from obscurity and given her place of importance in…
The British Left and the Irish Struggle
Former Sinn Féin member, Philip Ferguson, has written an important article, Behind the betrayal, showing both the significance of the Irish national liberation struggle against the British state, and a critique of the politics of its leadership. However, he also points out the much greater failings of the British left, when it came to offering…
The Scottish Executive’s ‘Sectarian’ Smokescreen
This article is from the Republican Communist bulletin produced for this year’s Edinburgh James Connolly march Political attacks on Republicans It is 12 years since the old Lothian Region Labour group banned Edinburgh’s James Connolly March. Following the 1993 show of defiance in Broughton Street, we won the right to march. However, our annual commemoration…
Respect victory – a new dawn for the left?
J.M. Thorn (Socialist Democracy, Belfast) looks at the implications of Respect’s election preformance The election of George Galloway as an MP for the Respect Coalition has been hailed as a major breakthrough for the left in Britain. Contesting its first general election, Respect overturned a Labour majority of ten thousand in the East End constituency…
Paisley triumphant as UUP implodes
by John McAnulty (Socialist Democracy, Belfast) When the leader of Ulster Unionism, David Trimble, is defeated at the polls by over 5000 votes in favour of a hymn-singing local meat plant owner and subsequently resigns as UUP leader we can be sure that something historic is happening. The swing of 45% effected by Jeffrey Donaldson…
Learning from the General Election
Mary McGregor assesses the outcome of the 2005 general election campaign The UK general election on May 6th already seems a distant memory. It came, went and nothing much seemed to change. Tony Blair was re-elected with a majority of 66 seats. This was slashed from a 166 seat majority at the 2001 election but…