The split on the Scottish Left between celebrity populist and genuine socialist politics On May 1st, 2003 six Scottish Socialist Party members were elected to Holyrood. From December 23rd, 2010, by far the best-known (former) member of the SSP, Tommy Sheridan, faces a jail sentence for committing perjury, following in the footsteps of Lord Jeffrey…
The Communist Case for Internationalism from Below
A contribution to the debate at The Global Commune event of 22nd May, 2010, in Edinburgh 1. Three Left approaches to building a new world order The Republican Communist Network (RCN) has mainly applied an ‘internationalism from below’ approach as a way to unite communists, socialists and revolutionary democrats throughout these islands around an immediate…
Report of Second Global Commune Meeting
May 22nd, 2010 The second Global Commune day school, jointly organised by the Republican Communist Network (RCN) and The Commune, was held in the Out of the Blue Centre in Edinburgh on May 22nd. People attended from Aberdeen, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Midlothian. The first workshop session, ‘After the Election, What Next?‘ was introduced…
A reply to Alan Johnstone of the Socialist Party of Great Britain” from Allan Armstrong
In his letter to Weekly Worker, no. 812, Alan Johnstone attacks my claim that Marx and Engels would have been supporters of an ‘internationalism from below’ strategy from the time of the First International. On Alan’s first point, that what socialists should do in 2010 does not depend on what Marx and Engels may or…
A Reply to Nick Roger’s Workers Unity not Separatism
A Reply to Nick Roger’s Workers Unity not Separatism (edited version in Weekly Worker, no. 211) Independent Action Required to Achieve Genuine Workers’ Unity First, I would like to thank Nick for the tenor of his contribution to the debate about communist strategy in the states of the UK and the 26 county Irish republic.…
Word Power – an interview with Elaine Henry
WORD POWER – “A veritable flea market of books and ideas” Allan Armstrong interviews Elaine Henry who set up the Word Power bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland’s only independent Left and radical bookshop Why did you decide to set-up Word Power? I’d been a volunteer in the women’s bookshop, Womanzone, and was aware of other radical…
2nd Republican Socialist Convention
The second Republican Socialist Convention was organised by the Socialist Alliance (The Socialist Alliance is the small organisation still left in England after the defection first of the Socialist Party and then the Socialist Workers Party.) in London on February 14th. In its initial conception it was ambitious. With a General Election looming in the…
Report Of The Second Republican Socialist Convention, 13.2.10
Below is the report of the 2nd Republican Socialist Convention. This was hosted by the Socialist Alliance London on 13.2.10. Both Colin Fox and Allan Armstrong spoke for the SSP. The report is followed by Allan’s contribution. This produced a response from Nick Rogers of the CPGB-WW which is also posted along with Allan’s reply. 1.…
The Legacy of James Connolly
Allan Armstrong interviews Jim Slaven, a founder member of the James Connolly Society and currently Chair of the Connolly Foundation. Jim outlines the longstanding campaigns to have James Connolly commemorated in Edinburgh, the city of his birth. Our own radical tradition is a mystery to us, that we don’t know about our historical links with…
The Need for Socialist Unity
A contribution from Allan Armstrong of the Republican Communist Network. This is immediately followed by a supplement analysing the European election results, which assesses the current balance of political forces in the EU. In Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales the main lesson of the 2009 European elections is clear – we need Socialist unity. In…