Allan Armstrong sees recent setbacks for the SSP as part of the wider international Left’s retreat in the face of an imperialist, ‘liberal’ counter-offensive Why have the SSP retreated? It is three years since the massive international demonstrations, held on February 15th 2003, in protest against Bush and Blair’s’ impending war in Iraq. These were…
A Chance To Vote Socialist At Every Opportunity
Mary McGregor analyses the current debate taking place in the SSP over the party’s electoral strategy First-Past-The-Post: to stand or not to stand There is a debate raging within the SSP which, like so many others, actually goes far beyond the superficial topic of the debate, and goes to the very essence of the nature…
Emancipation & Liberation Index 12
Emancipation & Liberation, Issue 12, Spring 2006 A chance to Vote Socialist at every opportunity, Mary McGregor Which way now for the SSP, Allan Armstrong Imperialism’s nuclear hypocrisy, Nick Clarke Hard truths, John Wight Choreography of the pratfall, John McAnulty Glasgow commemorates Bloody Sunday, Jim Slaven An electoral alliance for the 2007 Local Elections?, Scot…
Sierra Leone – Britain’s Other Invasion – 5 Years On
Reprinted from Issue no. 64, Nov/Dec 2005, of Class Struggle, produced by the International Communist Union (Trotskyist) More than 5 years ago, on 7 May 2000, British troops landed in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. This was the first major intervention by the British army in sub-Saharan Africa since the end of its bloody…
A Change of Course Required
Philip Stott, member of the SSP and the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) gives his analysis of the Scottish Independence Convention and the trajectory of the SSP. It’s been more than a decade and a half since the soothsayers of capitalism pronounced the triumph of the market and read the last rites for socialism.…
The Crown Powers and an Anti-Imperialist Agenda
John Mitchell, an independent Scottish republican and member of the SSP As always Allan Armstrong’s analysis of the Scottish Independence Convention (SIC) is a welcome, well-developed and considered response. Indeed Allan’s critiques in previous editions of Emancipation & Liberation have helped clarify my own thoughts on this matter. It seems strange that anyone proclaiming themselves…
Rights for the People Not Royal Prerogatives
Republican St. David’s Day Demonstration 10am Wednesday March 1st, Oval Basin, Cardiff Bay Mrs Windsor will officially open the National Assembly for Wales’ new debating chamber on March 1st St. David’s Day. Our National Assembly does not have the powers to meet the needs of the people of Wales. It has fewer powers than a…
Cooperating in the International Struggle Against Imperialism and for Socialist Republicanism
A response to Scot MacCreamhin’s Can Scottish Socialists and Irish republicans work together? Scot MacCreamhin’s article, Can Scottish socialists and Irish republicans work together?, is a welcome contribution to what has often been a fraught debate. Scot concentrates on possible electoral cooperation in the 2007 Holyrood elections. He goes on to consider various options for…
An Electoral Alliance for the 2007 Local Elections?
Iris, the magazine published by Cairde Na hEireann in Scotland, initiated a debate in asking: Can Scottish socialists and Irish republicans work together? Below are reprinted two contributions to the debate. The first, from Scot MacCreamhain, was first printed in Iris, Autumn 2005. This is followed by a reply from Allan Armstrong. Questioning the logic…
Glasgow Commemorates Bloody Sunday
Jim Slaven, Secretary of the James Connolly Society, reflects on the events surrounding this year’s Bloody Sunday commemoration and the task of republicans in Scotland Opposition to commemoration Following the furore over the recent Bloody Sunday commemoration in Glasgow it is perhaps time to reflect on the political questions raised. Why did the BNP and…