Following the Welsh Assembly elections, Bob Davies (CPGB, South Wales) details the compromises in the pursuit of power Cross party, consensus politics currently appears in vogue at the moment. As I write, and perhaps encouraged by recent developments in Welsh politics, Gordon Brown has announced that Patrick Mercer and John Bercow, both Tory MPs, will…
The British Left and the Irish Struggle
Former Sinn Féin member, Philip Ferguson, has written an important article, Behind the betrayal, showing both the significance of the Irish national liberation struggle against the British state, and a critique of the politics of its leadership. However, he also points out the much greater failings of the British left, when it came to offering…
The Scottish Executive’s ‘Sectarian’ Smokescreen
This article is from the Republican Communist bulletin produced for this year’s Edinburgh James Connolly march Political attacks on Republicans It is 12 years since the old Lothian Region Labour group banned Edinburgh’s James Connolly March. Following the 1993 show of defiance in Broughton Street, we won the right to march. However, our annual commemoration…
Paisley triumphant as UUP implodes
by John McAnulty (Socialist Democracy, Belfast) When the leader of Ulster Unionism, David Trimble, is defeated at the polls by over 5000 votes in favour of a hymn-singing local meat plant owner and subsequently resigns as UUP leader we can be sure that something historic is happening. The swing of 45% effected by Jeffrey Donaldson…
Learning from the General Election
Mary McGregor assesses the outcome of the 2005 general election campaign The UK general election on May 6th already seems a distant memory. It came, went and nothing much seemed to change. Tony Blair was re-elected with a majority of 66 seats. This was slashed from a 166 seat majority at the 2001 election but…
2005 Motion to National Conference – Passed
Independence Convention This conference agrees that the SSP should seek support from other organisations invited or participating in the setting up of the Scottish Independence Convention for the following principles: a) the creation of a sovereign democratic Scottish republic with the abolition of all Crown Powers. b) a declaration of Scotland’s military neutrality and withdrawal…
Discovering the Scottish Revolution 1692 – 1746: A critique
Gordan Morgan is a national office bearer of the Scottish Socialist Party. He also belongs to the International Socialist Group, a section of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International. Here he takes issue, both with Neil Davidson’s Discovering the Scottish Revolution and Allan Armstrong’s earlier Emancipation and Liberation review. My thanks to Allan Armstrong…
Highlandism and the Politics of Geography
Alistair Livingston is a historian living in Galloway. He contributed to BBC Radio Scotland’s acclaimed series – The Lowland Clearances. Here he comments on Allan Armstrong’s Beyond Broadswords and Bayonets Having lived for 10 years in Hackney, east London (population 200,000) and then returning to Castle Douglas, south-west Scotland (population 3800), the contrast between these…
Holy Cross – the hidden story
Holy Cross – the hidden story has one overwhelming strength. Written by a journalist, it is made up of close-grained and exhaustive interviews of many of the leading participants, providing in meticulous detail a blow-by blow account of a truly extraordinary and horrific episode. Yet the book’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Rather…
Open Letter from the Socialist Alliance Democratic Platform (SADP)
Build a Democratic Socialist Alliance Towards a Mass Workers’ Party Conference March 12th 2005, United Services Club, Gough Street, Birmingham Dear Comrades, At the time of writing, the Socialist Alliance NEC, under the direction of the SWP leadership, have promised to organise an AGM of the Socialist Alliance on February 5th 2005. We encourage all…