Making Plans For Nigel

Allan Armstrong (RCN) examines the situation Socialists face across these islands in the light of the recent European election and the ongoing Scottish independence referendum campaign. A SOCIALIST REPUBLICAN ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE UK AND ‘NEW UNIONISM’ IN THE LIGHT OF THE RISE OF UKIP AND THE FORTHCOMING SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM CONTENTS Introduction…

Labour And Socialist Left Unionism In The Scottish Independence Debate

Allan Armstrong (RCN) prepared a talk for the Conference of Socialist Economists Day School held in the Out of the Blue Centre in Edinburgh on June 21st. The article below incorporates some of the discussion points that were raised. It provides a socialist republican analysis of the British Left and the case for an ‘internationalism…

Ukraine – Caught between East and West

The Republican Communist Network is co-sponsoring a series of meetings in Scotland about the current situation in Ukraine. Below we are posting the leaflet that has been circulated at various events. Ukraine is at the brink of war. It is being pulled apart by imperialist forces, from the East, Russian forces and from the West,…

Exploitation, Oppression and Alienation: Emancipation, Liberation and Self-Determination

The RCN has based much of its analysis of capitalism on the notions of exploitation and oppression, to which we counter the ideas of emancipation and liberation – hence the name of our main publication. However, we have been conducting discussions on capitalism’s third prop, alienation, and its antithesis, self-determination, understood in its widest sense. In the article below, by…

What May Day Means In The Ukraine Crisis

In the second article from the RCN’s May Day Special Bulletin, Allan Armstrong (RCN) outlines the significance of current events in Ukraine, the dangers of inter-ethnic conflict allowing imperialist intervention, with the growing threat of inter-imperialist conflict. “Take a neighbour of ours {Germany}. Our relations are very much better than they were a few years…

‘Emancipation & Liberation’ RIC Special Bulletin, March, 2014

The RCN produced its first Emancipation and Liberation RIC Special Bulletin for the National Forum in March. It included the following articles: Let’s all end our abusive relationship with the UK state The Republican Communist Network and the Radical Independence Campaign A Republican perspective is important for Scotland’s future LET’S ALL END OUR ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH…

25 Years Since The Poll Tax: 1 Year Since The ‘Bedroom Tax’

Today, April Fools Day, RIC supporters handed out the leaflet below on the streets of Scotland. The 25th anniversary of the poll tax also provides an opportunity to provide a link to the article written by Allan Armstrong (RCN), Chair of Lothian Anti-Poll Tax Federation, for Red Banner, on the 20th anniversary of the tax.…

The Ghost Of James Connolly – Book Launch

THE GHOST OF JAMES CONNOLLY James Connolly and Edinburgh’s New Trade Union, Independent Labour and Socialist Movements(1890-96) James Connolly’s role in Irish history is well known and celebrated. However, Connolly also played a prominent part in the ‘New Union’, independent Labour and Socialist movements in Edinburgh. Allan Armstrong, who conducts Radical Walks in the city, has…

AFTER GRANGEMOUTH – WHAT NOW FOR THE LEFT IN SCOTLAND?

The ignominious climbdown of the Broad Left UNITE leadership at Grangemouth highlights the need for the Left in Scotland to assess the political significance of this disastrous capitulation, which will encourage every employer to resort to similar dictatorial methods when dealing with their workers. Furthermore, the decision of the SNP government to bow to Ratcliffe and…

Secularism: Time To Seperate Church And State

This is an introduction given by Allan Armstrong (RCN) to the Edinburgh branch of the Edinburgh Radical Independence Campaign on Monday, September 30th. It is followed by some responses from other socialists. Two interesting articles were published last week. The first one in The Herald (27.9.13) highlighted the recent Scottish census, which pointed out that,…