John Lanigan (RCN) attended the book launch of YES: The Radical Case for Independence, written by James Foley and Pete Ramand of the International Socialist Group and the Radical Independence Campaign. The book was launched at the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sunday March 30th. Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, James Foley and Pete Ramand spoke. Below is…
A Review of Jim Sillars’ ‘In Place Of Fear II’ by Gerry Hassan
If much of the Left in England has become all nostalgic about Old Labour following Ken Loach’s The Spirit of ’45, then much of the Left in Scotland, both in and out of the Labour Left, look back to Scottish Labour’s ‘glory days’ in the 1970’s. Here Gerry Hassan reviews dissident SNP member, Jim Sillar’s…
Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey Director: Leila Doolan
Zofia Walczak reviews the documentary, Notes on a Political Journey, made by the filmmaker, Leila Doolan, about the political life of Bernadette Devlin MacAliskey. In 1972, when the Conservative Home Secretary Reginald Maulding stated that the British Army had only fired at Bloody Sunday protesters in self-defence, Bernadette Devlin McAliskey walked across the House of…
Seamus Heaney – A Tribute
Seamus Heaney, the celebrated Irish poet, died earlier this year on August 30th. He was a frequent visitor to Scotland and friend of Sorley Maclean and Norman MacCaig. He wrote the acclaimed translation from the Early Anglo-Saxon of the founding epic poem of England, Beowulf. Heaney was a great Irish internationalist. Mary McGregor has written…
Republican Socialist Platform
On November 30th a wide range of socialists and others will be coming together in London to found a Left Unity Party. None of the early proposed platforms, including that of the main organisers, has anything to say about the real nature of the UK state or the current political situation in Scotland. Now, however,…
The Scottish Republic And The Commonwealth Of England
The RCN has been campaigning for socialists in Scotland to organise on the basis of ‘internationalism from below’ since we were founded. We persuaded the Scottish Socialist Party to organise a successful Republican Socialist Convention in Edinburgh, and have participated in two events in England. Steve Freeman organised these two meetings in London, and is…
Why We Don’t Wear A Poppy
Jim Slaven of the James Connolly Society explains why socialists and antimilitarists do not wear red poppies on November 11th, especially as the British ruling class is getting ready to launch its centenary of the First World War. This celebration of the UK and British Empire is part of their campaign against Scottish self-determination. I…
Women and Independence
Alice Bowman gave this introduction to a discussion on Women and Independence at the Edinburgh branch of the Radical Independence Campaign on April 29th. I just wanted to start by saying how pleased I am to have been asked to speak this evening on women and independence. I’ve been involved in the Radical Independence Campaign…
Why is Venezuela relevant to Scotland’s Radical Independence Movement?
Ewan Robertson, who currently lives in Venezuela, updates his contribution from one year ago in the light of an eventful year. He highlights the relevance of a Venezuela’s social republican approach in the current debate over Scottish self-determination. With under a year to go until Scotland’s independence referendum, radical independence activists are looking at examples…
Scottish Self-Determination: For A Wannabe Ruling Class or for Scotland’s People?
The SNP is conducting its campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote around a series of proposals that fall considerably short of genuine self-determination and amount to ‘Independence-Lite’ for a wannabe Scottish ruling class. Here, the RCN is putting forward some alternative proposals, which would open the way to meaningful self-determination for the people and working class…