EL&SD is posting two articles about Scotland’s leading historian, Sir Tom Devine. In the first, Barry Biddulph takes issue with Devine’s earlier opposition to the removal for the statue of the Duke of Sutherland on Ben Bhraggie near Golspie. He and his wife, the Countess of Sutherland, were responsible for some of the worst…
A victory for workers at Glen Dimplex, Portadown
This article, first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) is about a recent victorious strike by by electronic appliance workers employed Glen Dimplex at Portadown. A VICTORY FOR WORKERS AT GLEN DIMPLEX, PORTADOWN All workers must prepare to fight! Workers on the picket line at the Glen Dimplex factory on Portadown. Glen Dimplex, a highly…
British politics is an oligarchs’ cocktail party – Tory ministers are the waiters
The following article on sleaze and corruption in British politics by Adam Ramsay was first posted by OpenDemocracy. BRITISH POLITICS IS AN OLIGARCHS’ COCKTAIL PARTY – TORY MINISTERS RE THE WAITERS The recent onslaught of government sleaze shows once again why the UK has been called ‘the most corrupt country in the world’. With the…
Loyalist bus hijackings in Belfast
The following article on Loyalist bus hijackings in Belfast was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) LOYALIST BUS HIJACKINGS IN BELFAST Following a second bus burning by the Protestant Action Force, a cover name for the UVF, bus drivers staged a protest at City Hall in Belfast and refused to drive into areas where the…
Police intimidation at Cop26
We are posting two pieces concerning the police intimidation and kettling of the Young Communist League contingent on the Cop26 demonstration in Glasgow on November 6th. The first is by Mike Small of bella caledonia; the second is a statement from the YCL Central Committee. 1. POLICE INTIMIDATION AT COP-26 Saturday saw one of…
Crossing the Rubicon – Sinn Fein becomes Fianna Fail mark II
The following article was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland). It reports on the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in October CROSSING THE RUBICON With vote on non-jury courts, Sinn Féin finally morphs into Fianna Fail mark II Leader Mary Lou McDonald at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis at the Helix in Dublin. Resolution number 21…
Back to the past – again
James Harvey wrote the following article for Weekly Worker. It looks at the political significance of Tory government’s attempts to unravel the post-Brexit Protocol they signed up for over relationships with the EU and Ireland. BACK TO THE PAST – AGAIN Last week saw just the latest twist in the continuing stand-off between the British government…
What does the union flag tell us about the UK?
Allan Armstrong has rewritten the introduction to the first part of his book, From Pre-Brit to Ex-Brit. In this he takes a closer look at the history of the UK’s Union Flag. WHAT DOES THE UNION FLAG TELL US ABOUT THE UK? Today, even the United Kingdom’s most diehard defenders realise their state may not…
On police violence
The following article written by Mike Small on police violence in Great Britain, including Scotland, first appeared in bella caledonia ON POLICE VIOLENCE The state holds the monopoly on violence in our society. We can talk about male violence but the murder of Sarah Everard is also state violence and needs to be seen in both contexts. A…
Dublin bus workers reject union backed deal on pay and conditions
This article first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) outlines the growing tensions between rank and file workers and union bureaucrats in the Dublin bus workers dispute accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. DUBLIN BUS WORKERS REJECT UNION BACKED DEAL ON PAY AND CONDITIONS Union leaders’ plan puts all workers inside the privatisation rules It barely more…