On February 5th, 2011, after the ending of the court proceedings arising from ‘Tommygate’[1]See:- RCN statement following the Tommy Sheridan Perjury Trial., the SSP held a special meeting in Glasgow to discuss the lessons to be learned from the whole affair. The SSP annual conference, held in Dunfermline in April, also considered aspects of this.…
Freedom Come All Ye
The magazine version of Emancipation & Liberation has contained a Republic of the Imagination section, which has provided articles about historical and ongoing cultural resistance against capitalism and other class-based societies. Our blog intends to look at the cultural debates which have arisen, and which will arise in the future, within a Scottish society looking for…
Genuine Self-Determination Means Acting As Republicans Now
Allan Armstrong will be introducing the workshop on Republicanism at the Radical Independence Conference in Glasgow on November 24th, along with Neil Davidson of the SWP, Graham McIver of Solidarity, and a speaker from Republic Scotland. He has been asked by the conference organisers to prepare an outline of his talk, so that those attending…
Turlough MacDaid, 1930-2012
Allan Armstrong writes this tribute to Turlough MacDaid Turlough MacDaid, a larger than life socialist and trade unionist activist, who had lived in Edinburgh since the early 1970s, died on 27th October. Turlough, although very much an outgoing person and always good company, was secretive about his personal life. His marriage broke up in the…
Beyond the Saltire and St. Andrew – Flying The Red Flag on John Maclean Day
Allan Armstrong argues that the saltire is not a symbol nor St. Andrews Day a celebration which republican socialists, or indeed anyone committed to a multi-ethnic and multi-faith (and non-faith) Scotland can see as their own. However, he points out that Scottish socialists can still make November 30th their own, whilst flying the red flag.…
Scottish Self-Determination And The ‘Actually Existing’ Labour Movement
A response to the Red Paper Collective’s Power for Scotland’s People – A labour movement view The ‘Independent Scotland Debate’ was organised by the Edinburgh Peoples Festival on September 9th. 86 people attended this well-conducted event in the Out of the Blue Centre in Leith. The speaker supporting independence was Kevin Williamson of bella caledonia,…
‘Britain Must Break’ To Defend ‘Real Labour’ or ‘The Break-Up Of The UK’ To Advance Republican Socialism?
Allan Armstrong (RCN) welcomes the new pamphlet Britain Must Break by the International Socialist Group (Scotland) and offers some fraternal criticism. Introduction The Scottish government’s 2014 ‘independence’ referendum has produced a flurry of analysis and activity amongst the Left in Scotland. This has led several Socialist organisations to come together to promote the Radical Independence Conference[1]The…
The ‘Independence-Lite’ Referendum And A Tale Of Two Campaigns
The SNP‘s ‘Yes, Please’ And The Left Nationalists’ ‘Yes, But…’ Tale No. 1 – the launch of the SNP’s Yes campaign Alex Salmond launched the ‘Yes’ campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum at Cineworld in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge on the morning of Friday, May 25th. Apart from the delayed start, this media orientated event, attended…
Dave Douglass Reviews Gregor Gall’s ‘Tommy Sheridan, From Hero To Zero?’
Tommy Sheridan, From Hero To Zero? – A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY Welsh Academic Press, 2012, pp384, £25 Tommy and Gail Sheridan: a giant conspiracy? Given the still raw emotions, ongoing political bitterness and entrenched sectarian positions around Tommy Sheridan, this is a remarkably objective and balanced work. It is also extremely well written and presented. The…
Socialist Republicanism And The Diamond Jubilee
The RCN is posting four pieces as a contribution to the debate on a socialist republican the Diamond Jubilee. Socialist Republicans and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Republicanism Socialism and Democracy The Crown Rules Britannia The Queen: Floating in the Stink 1. Socialist Republicans and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee “Maud Gonne joined with James Connolly in…