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…
Galloway, The SWP And Socialist Unity
Allan Armstrong analyses recent attacks on the SSP and points the way to an ‘internationalism from below’ perspective Galloway resorts to the gutter press George Galloway’s recent attack upon the SSP has raised the issue of socialist unity in these islands in a stark manner. Galloway’s suggestion that he could stand, on a joint ticket…
For an Anti-Imperialist Front
This article first appeared in Scottish Workers Republic (paper of the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement) Winter 2004 edition Is the Independence Convention (IC) a positive step forwards towards an independent socialist Scotland? It is argued that what’s needed is the coming together of the various pro-independence forces to face down the pro-Unionist media and state.…
Full Marks For Republican Initiative
Following the success of the October 9th Calton Hill demonstration, the RCN puts the case for the Scottish Independence Convention to be built on republican principles. RCN Resolution to SSP conference February 2005 The impact of the October 9th Calton Hill Demonstration The Calton Hill Declaration and the demonstration, on October 9th, opposing the official…
The Declaration of Calton Hill and the Scottish Independence Convention
Text of leaflet produced and distributed by RCN (Scotland) for the Declaration of Calton Hill event on October 9th Today’s Declaration of Calton Hill will be welcomed by freedom-loving democrats. What a contrast to all the toadying surrounding that alternative event – the royal opening of the Westminster sub-office next to Holyrood Palace and its…
Declaration of Calton Hill
9th October 2004 We the undersigned call for an independent Scottish republic built on the principles of liberty, equality, diversity and solidarity. These principles can never be put into practice while Scotland remains subordinate to the hierarchical and anti-democratic institutions of the British State. We believe these principles can be brought about by a freely…
Behind the great Northern Bank Heist
What does it mean when the chief police officer in a state holds a press conference and implicates the second largest party in a massive bank heist? What does it mean when the chief constable presents no evidence for his claim? His statement is based on a hunch, intelligence, the direction of a number of…
Ireland: The December collapse
Not the death of the Good Friday agreement – the death of its daughter by John McAnulty (Socialist Democracy, Belfast) The chief theory behind the latest slapstick collapse of what is still called the Irish Peace Process, despite being sponsored by Bush and Blair, the butchers of Fallujah, is what is best called the ‘if…