To Scotland, with love: report from the London Says Yes rally
Mark France of Left Unity’s Scottish Republic Yes Tendency reports on a London meeting in solidarity with the Scottish independence campaign
Sometimes a day is a long time in politics. On the morning of Saturday 6 September, as delegates were preparing for the TUC conference in Liverpool, thousands of other activists were descending on London for final leg of the People’s March for the NHS. Meanwhile a group of London-based socialists organised by the magazine Red Pepper were catching the 9.43am ‘Yes Train’ from Kings Cross to Edinburgh, to spend a weekend of solidarity activism supporting the Radical Independence Campaign’s work to maximise the Yes vote.
At the same time the well-known social media commentator Mark McGowan, aka The Artist Taxi Driver, arrived at Heathrow airport to pick up, and interview, Bernadette McAliskey. After the interview he took her to join activists from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England at South Bank University for the London Says Yes rally.
The rally, which was initiated by Left Unity members, involved representatives from many organisations on the left that support a Yes vote in the Scottish independence referendum, including Occupy London, the Sons of Malcolm (black internationalist activists) and Agreement of the People as well as various smaller left wing groups. There were messages of support from Leanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru, as well as the Green Party and Adam Ramsay of OpenDemocracy.
The atmosphere at the event reflected the growing enthusiasm and excitement that is finally filtering down from Scotland and beginning to impact on a largely demoralised, fractious and fragmented left in England – the feeling expressed by Paul Mason of Channel 4 News that “Something incredible is happening in Scotland”.
Allan Armstrong from the Radical Independence Campaign spoke of the Declaration of Calton Hill in 2004, which laid the basis of the flowering of the mass democratic movement involving a new layer of working class activists that we see today: activists who view a Yes victory as the first step towards creating a new state that acts in their interests and not the interests of the rich. Allan spoke of the experience of the Radical Independence Campaign “Mass Canvass” approach, which showed that the most impoverished and politically disenfranchised sections of the working class were coming out in favour of Yes.
Steve Freeman, of the Republican Socialist Alliance and Southwark Left Unity, reminded us of the comments David Cameron made in February, when Cameron urged people outside Scotland to “get on the phone” to urge the Scots to stay. Steve said: “Scotland is staying on the same island as the rest of us. But the Scottish people have the chance to take more powers into their own hands. However, Cameron is right on one thing. The future of Scotland is not simply a Scottish question. It is a class question and therefore not restricted by the Scottish border or who actually votes.
“Cameron proves his own contention. He will not be able to vote, yet his future is on the line. If this referendum is lost he will have to face the music at home and abroad.”
Bernadette McAliskey’s inspiring contribution spoke of the history of British imperialism and the crimes committed by the British state in every continent on the globe. She described the Queen as a “receiver of stolen goods”, and spoke of the importance of empowering a new generation of youth to take the future into their own hands.
Speaking on behalf of Left Unity’s Scottish Republic Yes Tendency, Mark France spoke of the new 16 and 17 year old Generation Yes activists like Saffron Dickson, who have been inspired by figures like Bernadette to take up the struggle for a Scottish socialist republic.
As the rally was coming to a close, some people in the audience were getting text messages from friends and comrades in Scotland. Rumours were spreading like wildfire that a new opinion poll was about to be announced that put the Yes campaign in the lead!
After months of unrelenting media coverage which painted the Yes campaign as some sort of minority, narrow-minded “blood-and-soil nationalist” campaign, and the constant threats and bully tactics of the Unionists, finally something had happened to prove that the tide had turned – finally, the reality on the ground experienced by the Radical Independence campaigners had found a reflection in the opinion polls. Sisters and brothers held up their Yes posters high and roared “YES!” as the rally came to an end. They vowed to do whatever they could to get the message across, especially to those socialists in England who still seem to misunderstand the dynamics of the Scottish independence referendum.
As thousands of NHS campaigners drifted away from Trafalgar Square, some demoralised by the way a genuine grassroots movement to defend the NHS had been cynically captured to launch Labour’s 2015 election campaign, not so far away at South Bank University, filled with hope and renewed enthusiasm, the Yes supporters drafted and signed a “Love Letter to Scotland”. Saturday 6 of September was a long day… it was the day the tide turned and, with the help and solidarity of Left Unity members in England in the last week of the campaign, that tide can become unstoppable.
The love letter from England to Scotland
Dear Scotland
We love you
Do us all a favour
Please escape on September 18
Vote Yes
Goodbye Cameron
Kick out the Tories, blow away New Labour
End Queen Anne’s Act of Union
Build a better democracy
Make a better future
Inspire us and we will follow your lead
Then we will be even closer friends
Yours Forever
Click here for list of signatories
49 comments
49 responses to “To Scotland, with love: report from the London Says Yes rally”
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I’m touched to tears. This scot is voting yes because I believe we can build a better Scotland. I hope in doing so, we can rattle England and ignite a better England for you as well. You will always be welcome in our home.
Fully support Scotlands right to escape the British occupation.
We in Scotland are British and part of Britain, there is no escaping British occupation, to use the occupation term it would be English occupation, which is again incorrect as we are not in any way occupied.
What we are doing is ending the UK and becoming a sovereign nation once again.
Steve.
Small point and hate to quibble. A sovereign nation is surely a republican nation not a nation with a royal sovereign. Scotland has never been a republican nation so there is no return to what never existed. That might be romantic nationalism. Surely the point of yes is that after a yes vote Scotland has a chance to remake itself as a republican nation. This is why we called ourselves the Scottish Republic Yes Tendency – meaning vote yes and then go further. On a day when the queen is being urged to speak out you can understand her concerns.
Thank you soo much for your letter and support when we are free from Cameron and his tories we will not forget you and hope you can break free from them too xx
Fingers crossed, social change in an independent Scotland will raise aspirations for the RUK. Support like this raises morale….moran taing
English capitalism or Scottish capitalism with a side helping of narrow Nationalism? What a choice
The working class in England still have delusions in the capitalist Labour party.
This referendum is exposing the reality of the Labour party to working class people both sides of the border. The working class youth of Scotland are engaged, are going to vote for independence in their droves, and a victory for the independence campaign will give these first time working class voters who now see the real neo-con Labour party for what it stands for, the motivation to engage in politics again.
What is gaslvanizing the working class youth in England to the same degree? Nothing, but Scottish independence just might wake them up.
just to add another piece to the jigsaw and help people see the real neo-con Labour party, what it stands for and how it was welcomed in glasgow today,Enjoy!!
http://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/scotland-bow-down-to-your-imperial-masters/
The possibility of a Yes vote in scotland and the possibility that the UK may leave the EU are signs that the ruling class is losing control of their system. It is increasingly clear that the system has little positive to offer ordinary working people- particularly young people. Capitalism is showing clear signs of disintegration not only in the UK but world wide. However socialists are for the positive transcendence of capitalism by the forces of socialism ( the organized working class) not the disintegration of capitalism into failed states etc. The growth of nationalism in Europe is not a positive sign. Populism is not an ally of socialism but its reactionary opponent.
The capitalist system is in crisis. The capitalist class is refusing to invest. They have lost confidence in the future. Trillions sit in the bank and tens of millions of workers are unemployed. Money is not acting as Capital but is horded by the capitalist class. There seems to be no way out from continuing decline- deflation threatens Europe and quantitative easing in Japan and the USA is not working to reinvigorate the system. In large parts of the world barbarism is winning. The USA can destroy but it cant create. Neo liberalism is obviously failing but the capitalist class are unable to break with it as an ideology. Capitalism is not offering a future that works. It is a system in decline. The growth of imperialist conflict is a sign of decay not strength. It is socialism or barbarism and the only strategy of the capitalist class seems to be to try to stop the working class coming together and providing a rational, planned, pro human response to capitalist disintegration. The capitalist class have nothing positive to offer humanity. New capitalist states formed to compete on the world market offer nothing real or positive to the working class
This is how a loving friend or family member (rather than an abusive partner) would behave. In the words of Sting – “if you love somebody let them go”. Then you will never lose them.
Socialist internationalism is the way forward for the working class – in Scotland as elsewhere – not the illusion of “independence” – in a firmly still entirely capitalist state – which just leaves the working class in this island more divided and less able to take on the power of globalised capitalism.
Anyone who really believes Scotland is under “British Occupation” (who are these “British ” ?) need to look a bit more closely at the real history of Scotland.
An independent Scotland will have to write down a constitution.
This might put the idea into the heads of the working class in England. The idea that England too should and could have a written constitution. In the writing of any new constitution, the newly confident Scots may just want an ELECTED head of state.
Sticking with the UK this possibility will never be on the cards.
Comrade website editor,
As this report appears on our official Party website’s Home Page, under the sub-title ‘News’, shouldn’t it be prefixed with an editorial note pointing out that the views reported in it are not official Left Unity policy but are the views of a quite properly declared tendency within the party.
A declared tendency within Left Unity has the right to campaign for its policy positions and to win recruits to Left Unity on that basis.
We should be proud to explain that, in the type of party we are building, members do have the right to organise together in order to publicly state and work to win support for, the policies which they are attempting to win a majority to within the Party. At the same time however, there must be public clarity on what is and what is not (or not yet, in some cases) official democratically determined Party policy.
Hi – this is a report of a meeting rather than a policy statement, however Mark France is clearly identified at the beginning as writing on behalf of the Scottish Republic Yes Tendency.
John is right – this does not represent our policy at all and should be in the discussion section.
It’s a borderline case, but given the very high topicality of the issue I think it’s right to have it on the front page this time.
Thank you, that was beautiful. This is just the beginning, a bridgehead if you will. First we take back Scotland for her peoples, then we take back the rest of the island. Solidarity, always x
http://tinyurl.com/pc87h4y
Murdoch also backed independence in the 1990s before switching to supporting Blair
I know we can build a better Scotland where people can work with the government of Scotland, not against it. The working classes are strong and with our history of the Red Clydesiders, we can create a fairer society. We need people to have conviction and courage and vote Yes for a new beginning.
http://tinyurl.com/m5cwfwk
Finally the good people of England have seen the light. After a yes win , I will be keeping an eye out for the change that England dearly needs. Once you see the establishment for what they really
Are you will be on your way to a better country. Good luck.
There is a section of the blog for “tendencies”. That is where this should be unless or until party policy changes. Conference had the chance to vote for this position and chose not to do so. Having it on our front page is quite wrong.
We have previously kept pro-independence comment material off the front page (much to the annoyance of those who wanted it there!) for that reason. But this is not a statement of a policy position – it is a report of a public meeting. If some Left Unity members organise a No meeting and send in a report then it will get the same treatment. There is no sense in pretending that all this isn’t happening when it is on the front page of every newspaper.
In the referendum debate in Scotland there is real democratic political dialogue. Real people in Scotland are talking about real political issues. The “Yes” campaign is not just the SNP its about a country which might just have some hope for the future.
The “No” campaign has shown the Labour party, in the most negative and bullying light, as the front-men of the Con-Dem government. Has anyone seen any of people holding the “Labour No” posters actually smiling? By comparison the “Yes” supporters look up for it. The unionist parties last ditch stand is to bring back Gordon Brown to save the union for the Westminster political class.
Those on the left say that Scottish independence will result in Tories ruling rUK for ever. Maybe, but support for the political class is collapsing: UKIP may be eating into the Tory core vote. The Greens have policies well to the left of Labour and with a fair wind could eat into the Labour core vote in England. In Wales Plaid Cymru could eat into Labour’s core vote. Those who are to the left of Labour should recognise it is a lost cause. It would not be impossible for Labour to consider a grand Coalition, German-style, with the Tories with or without the LibDems to keep out UKIP and the Greens.
There is an opportunity for political change in Scotland and the rUK. Comrades in Scotland have grasped the nettle. Good luck!
Though I will vote No to breaking this island, I think the Radical Independence Campaign has shone since it was launched in 2012.
Unfortunately RIC are in danger of undoing much that is good, by telling voters that a Yes vote guarantees:
200,000 new jobs and the minimum wage to be a living wage (£7.65+ per hour)
The Scottish Parliament this year defeated a Labour move to make the hourly £7.65 living wage part of all public sector contracts.
For the radical left then to tell voters it’s guaranteed, to get votes – not good, supposed to be different. It’s something to fight for, like the Ritzy workers in London.
There are real problems with the infatuation with Scottish independence by sections of the left. Firstly the political collapse into nationalism – the idea that some agency other than the working class can deliver materially better living standards, a democratic society etc to workers. In this case the capitalist class in Scotland and its assorted political functionaries in the SNP, Labour etc are supposed to produce this under conditions in which the capitalist class across the world is dedicated to austerity and the destruction of the living standards of most of the population. this is not only an abandonment of socialism – the idea that only the working class can liberate itself and the rest of humanity, but a gross deception. Secondly the only promise that means anything from the SNP is to cut taxes on businesses, to promote a race to the bottom for workers in Europe – the rest is so much bullshit. The role of the nationalist left has been to provide cover for the SNP and promote the lie that nationalism can save the living standards of workers in Scotland. A yes vote would be defeat for the working class on either side of the absurd border.
Scottish Capitalism will oppress Scottish workers just as surely as English or British Capitalism. A Yes vote is a vote against workers unity.
Workers are being lied to in order to get them to vote for the project of the Scottish establishment. Nothing new there except the radical “left” are the ones trying to sell the lies of the Scottish government on the housing estates.
The working class are not being mobilized as a class but as Scots. No pledges to remove the anti trade union laws or tax the rich or a program of mass building of public housing or mass expenditure on public works or rent control or a radical increase in the minimum wage etc. Look to the Business for Scotland stuff and see the real agenda of the SNP and the independence movement
What is the point of being a Marxist if you are going to bend the knee to your local boss and coming running whenever they whistle? Leftist support for Scottish independence is simply servility masquerading as rebellion. The whole independence project is a reactionary betrayal of our comrades south of the border. If there is a YES vote the national division of the british working class will become a chasm and the working class on both sides of the border will pay the price. Working class unity against the bosses is the only way forward
sandy
With all due repect Sandy – you are talking rubbish.
You talk about working class unity but i think now is the time to show some of that unity and solidarity with comrades in Scotland instead of mis-representing them in the interests of british imperialism.
Comrades are on the Scottish housing estates engaging in debate about democracy and the future of Scotland. None of the Scottish left are selling the SNP’s “business for scotland” agenda. You are showing a total lack of understanding as to what is going on and repeating the right wing medias lies about this being a purely “nationalist” issue.
There are no illusions about independence being easy or a shortcut to progressive policies.
It is about democracy and engagement – it is about having a real voice so that we can remove anti trade union laws and fight directly in Scotland for all those progressive policies you mention.
Scotlands Yes campaign has seen one of the biggest mobilisations in recent memory of working people around a programme well to the left of anything in the rest of the UK and in the cause of democracy.
As a Marxist you should stop sitting in your southern ivory tower and join in solidarity with the Scottish working class.
Stop betraying our comrades north of the border and show some solidarity and real class unity
Sandy will say, rightly, that it does not matter where he llives or what his nationality is.
But as far as I know he is based in Scotland, Glasgow i think, and I the fact that you just assume he is “southern” says more than I could ever say about the dangers of nationalism.
Sandy,
You are a Unionist and a socialist which is a contradiction in terms. It means bending your knee to the British ruling class – the ruling class is the Unionist class not the working class. Watch the telly and see all the Unionist parties rushing to Scotland. Unionism is fundamentally anti- democratic on a par with the monarchy and the House of Lords. Scrap the lot. It all goes back to 1707 along with William of Orange and Queen Anne. Time to scrap the British constitution invented back then.
The whole system is now completely degenerate – monarchy, lords, acts of Union. These are all reactionary laws and institutions so the idea of supporting them in the name of the working class is disgusting.
Steve
I am a socialist not a unionist. I defend the unity of the working class and reject nationalism- both scottish and british. I think that the independence project of the SNP is anti working class and the growth of nationalism in Scotland is not a good thing. I am for a workers government so I am obviously opposed to the present constitutional order. The working class of this island can only move forward together. If we split on the grounds of nationality we will be much weaker
sandy
Miliband is in Scotland with Cameron and Clegg trying to sow panic.
To quote exactly and not to paraphrase Miliband on Wednesday 10th September 2014, in Scotland he stated ‘ if you don’t know, vote no’
So Miliband is doing his bit to defend the status quo.
Why is he doing this, because Miliband is part of the status quo, because the Labour party is part of the status quo.
Whether it is Yes or No we will have to try to limit the development of national antagonism following on from the referendum campaign and defend and develop working class unity on both sides of the border in the struggle against Capital. Even if it is a yes vote I would favour Left Unity continuing to be a british wide socialist party which takes its crucial decisions at british wide conferences. However I think many on the left in Scotland will reject this and favour a “sovereign” Scottish only left party and that some left unity members south of the border will also favour two fraternal parties rather than a united left party covering the whole Island.
What do others think?
sandy
Sandy,
You could have a British wide party that favours a Scottish Republic and opposes the 1707 Act of Union and supports Scotland’s right to self determination. But you could n’t now have a British wide party which was Unionist and opposed a Scottish Republic. Indeed the first kind of party would have something going for it. The latter is a dead duck.
It is a bit late to oppose the 1707 act of Union, Steve ! It is also extraordinarily ahistorical to see the Act of Union in its distinct historical context of developing early capitalism as anything but a historically progressive measure.
The Ruling Classes of England, Scotland and Wales were already well on the way to being a unitary Capitalist ruling class by 1707 – the act Of Union just represented a formal organisational structuring of this socio-economic reality. As a united state and a united ruling class the British bourgeoisie then went on the create the largest empire the world has ever seen – and , for Marxists, more importantly, created a system which (through unlimited hardship for the exploited – particularly the super-exploited of the colonial peoples of the Empire of course) played a fundamental role in the development of world capitalism. As a Marxist I see no problem about seeing the creation of capitalism as necessary to the eventual victory of socialism (read the Communist Manifesto for a clear explanation of this) – on the technological and organisational advances of capitalism – including the destruction of petty, localist , clan and tribe based exclusive, sectarian, social formations.
Scotland was never a colonial territory of the British Empire – it was a full partner in the British empire – and the exploitation of the workers and peasants of Scotland was carried out by Scottish landowners and capitalists – as part of the united British Bourgeois class.
There is nothing to be gained for socialism by creating or supporting the mythology of “Scottish national victimhood” – on which Scottish Nationalism feeds. Only the globalised bosses (Scottish, English, American , whatever ), gain today from divisions created amongst the workers of England , Scotland and Wales – oh, and the petty nationalist politicians who stand to gain from a bigger “pork barrel” to feed from should Scotland gain purely nominal “independence”.
As an internationalist party Left Unity should definitely continue to organise across all possible petty capitalist state boundaries wherever possible – promoting workers solidarity across frontiers.
Try and look on the bright side. The majority of workers who are voting Yes are doing so because they hate the british establishment and want a better life. Not that much enthusiasm for Salmond and the SNP in the working class heartlands. Also the mass upsurge in working class support for YES is not motivated by any hatred of the English. The SNP has had to talk left to appeal to workers and that shows that the mass of the working class still yearn for social equality and not for some free market dystopia. Racism has been absent from the YES campaign.The SNP’s independence project is a con job but its appeal is not the reactionary appeal of UKIP. The fact is that when the mass of workers have got active or interested in politics (as they have in the referendum campaign) they have done so with a yearning for social equality. I am firmly for a NO vote on the basis of building workers unity across britain but i do accept that the YES voting section of the working class are likely to be part of the vanguard of any big fightback against austerity in the future. Apart from workers who are voting No for reasons of class solidarity ( not a large group- unfortunately) most workers who are voting No are doing so for conservative reasons or are even bigots like the orange order. The real villains of the piece are the labour and trade union leadership. You cant build a socialist campaign for a No vote that will have any resonance with workers unless you are prepared to denounce New labour and point to the need for a fighting socialist alternative. Milliband is not a fighting socialist alternative that is for sure. The socialist No campaign in so far as it exists has failed to explain and bury the legacy of New Labour. The prospect of a labour government in 2015 committed to austerity and growing social inequality is not going to inspire many working class rebels to vote No
Sandy,
I called you a Unionist not on the basis of views you say you don’t have but on the objective fact that you are defending the queen Anne’s 1707 Act of Union. Next Thursday you vote yes or no to that however it is presented ideologically. If there was a referendum on the House of Lords and you voted to keep it I would call you a House of Lordist rather than a Unionist! Even if you declared yourself revolutionary. I would call you a revolutionary House of Lordist with an obvious sense of irony at a contradiction in terms
Steve, as a Marxist and a socialist internationalist I’m perfectly happy to “defend” the 1707 Act of Union in its historical context. Why – because AT THE TIME, it represented the consolidation of a development of a progressive capitalism which led to the immeasurable improvement of the productive forces of humanity. Of course this was on the sweat and bones of countless workers and peasants across the globe. But AT THE TIME of a very new industrial capitalism it was an essential step in the long march to socialism. That capitalist system, today, is no longer a progressive system – with nothing to bring humanity but ecological and economic/social ruin , and so it needs to be replaced by socialism – or the whole of humanity will regress to a barbaric state of sectarian strife – represented by the advance of the socially and technogically backward looking clerico fascism rampant now in the Middle East.
If you completely inaccurately and ahistorically wish to categorise those who defend the 1707 Act of Union as a historically progressive development for world capitalism as “Unionists”, then feel free to do so. I’m actually a socialist internationalist, with no time for the British capitalist state either – and would categorise those who ahistorically choose to categorise the 1707 Act of Union at the time as a “bad thing” , and seek the division of the British state into smaller , competing, capitalist states, as “romantic Left nationalists”.
For socialism to progress on this island we need to accept that the Union Jack has represented for hundreds of years oppression of nations across the globe. There is nothing progressive about this ongoing symbol of imperialism in fact the only time it has been used as a symbol to achieve a progressive aim was against WW2 fascism. In other words it can only be viewed progressively against one of the most sinister forces in history. Regarding Scottish independence I have no illusions that the raising of the Saltire and the taking down of the Union Jack will signal the start of a Socialist Republic. I do see it as a challenge to the current westminster establishment and it’s continuing imperialist policies. I say this despite the SNP’S, NATO references as decisions concerning those issues will be made in Holyrood post an independent Scotland and as an English person living in Scotland know these issues will be viewed differently here. Many of the comments expressed by No supporters contain the same thoughts as those concerning the North of Ireland and the republican movement there. I recall there were some pro-unionists on the left who were so anti republican in their anti nationalist arguments that they ended up supporting the role of the British Army. Denying they were an oppressive force on the streets of Belfast and Derry despite all international human rights organisations stating that torture and murder of Irish civilians was commonplace. When the continuous slaughter of civilians across the globe occurs by western military forces the most prominent flags are US and British. If Scottish independence means those living in Scotland are no longer part of those actions or even better the Union Jack is consigned to the waste of history that would be progressive.
A good article on the ghastly Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership treaty by Owen jones on the Guardian website today – highlighting the hypocrisy of the Tories and UKIP on the dangers to British sovereignty of the deal – whilst they bleat on generally about the need for more powers for the UK vis a vis the EU. Jones also points this out though – in relation to the position of the SNP – the future government of an “independent” Scotland if the Yes vote wins:
“Those hoping an independent Scotland will represent a break from Britain’s corporate-obsessed consensus will have a fight on their hands if it’s a yes on Thursday: Alex Salmond has described the deal as “especially good news” for Scotland while his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, describes it as “a reminder of the massive opportunities that European Union membership brings”.
And if our political elite won’t budge, then it’s up to the rest of us to organise. Criticisms of the EU have been surrendered to the xenophobic right for too long: a democratic People’s Europe has to be built. But TTIP is also a reminder of the constant threat from those in power. When they steal chunks of our democracy away from us, we may find that it is far from easy to win them back.”
Left Unity has already missed the point and the boat: as I understand it, talks about creating a Left party in Scotland on the back of the brilliant YES campaign are underway to challenge Labour in May 2015. Left Unity is not involved? This is what sitting on the fence does. Class is the ultimate divider – in practice and theory.
To win, the working class has to be united. Emancipation is about them (us), not party representatives.
LU is too much composed of factions and LU said its constitution excluding the Socialist Party and Socialist workers Party would exclude factionalism. this now looks utterly ridiculous. The Scottish Radical Independence Campaign for a YES vote shows that the Left can work together.
Steve Freeman is a socialist within LU who realises this fact. Whether the rest of LU catch up with this movement is doubtful.
Your entire comment is full of fundamental logical and political contradictions, Rupert. You say, quite correctly that ;
“Class is the ultimate divider – in practice and theory….
To win, the working class has to be united. Emancipation is about them (us), not party representatives.”
No disagreement about that from any internationalist socialist. However you then contradict the very core of your statement by supporting a SNP-dominated campaign for a purely nominal “independence” (Scotland will remain a fully capitalist bourgeois democratic constitutional monarchy hugely influenced by surrounding capitalist market – and the overwhelming economic clout of RUK) for a still entirely capitalist Scotland – which has been entirely dominated by the cross-class petty nationalism of the SNP.
This “independent” Scotland will have been created on the back of a divisive nationalist campaign in which Scottish workers have been persuaded to identify some sort of permanent nationalist community of shared interest with their Scottish bosses – as against their real shared CLASS interests with the rest of the UK (and world) working classes. No wishful dressing up of the entirely marginal impact of the “left socialist” Yes campaign within this overwhelmingly petty nationalist bandwagon can camouflage this reality.
I doubt very much that the tiny disparate groupings of ever-factional radical Left sects in Scotland supporting “Yes” will actually pull together any sort of permanent Scottish radical socialist party on the basis of the opportunism of the “Yes” campaign.
Left Unity is quite right to continue to build a radical socialist party on the basis of real working class based socialist internationalism – hopefully across any new borders created by petty nationalism.
John,
You seem to accept my point about the division of the country between Unionists and Anti-Unionists. Although the law was passed in 1707 it still exists today. It is like the monarchy and the House of Lords. They existed in 1707 and continue to this day. Those who support the Union always try to conceal this by pretending it is all nonsense and doesn’t do anything like the queen and can be ignored.
Queen Anne’s act is seen as progressive because it created the Empire and gave a great boost to the Atlantic slave trade. The Empire has gone and slavery was abolished. But it’s consequences are still with us. So you are a Unionist-socialist whereas I am an Anti-Unionist socialist. Soon you will feel ashamed of tying yourself up as an apologist for that blood soaked Royal Act of Parliament
Sorry Steve F, your completely mistaken name calling of those socialists who are true to the principle of socialist internationalism , simply reveals again your misunderstanding of the historical process. I am a socialist internationalist , with a historical viewpoint which, based on Marxism, recognises the huge historical achievements (and of course, huge crimes) of capitalist development – without which socialism would never be possible. Capitalism as a system is now a bankrupt mode of production which must be replaced by world socialism – or mutual global destruction of all classes will result from its death agonies.
The early progressive era of the bourgeois capitalist nation state is now well past – except for a very few oppressed nations like the Kurds. Scotland is not and has never been an oppressed nation. Today to promote the illusion that splitting a big capitalist nation state like Britain into smaller, still capitalist, units, will further the struggle for working class unity and socialism ,is gross folly.
You are not a “anti-Unionist socialist” , Steve. This is a completely meaningless term today in the specific historical context of today’s globalised capitalism. Whatever you choose to think. You, and all your co-thinkers, are simply a Left nationalist.
John,
As you have shown and proven, you are a Unionist socialist because you support the 1707 Act of Union a completely anti-democratic law. Call it ‘name calling’ if you like. Your argument is so bankrupt like supporting the monarchy and the House of Lords that all you can do is seek the sympathy of the ignorant. Wow is me that terrible SF has insulted me and called me names like ‘Unionist’ just because I support the anti- democratic and anti-working class laws which were passed to ensure the continuation of the British Protestant monarchy. I’m sure you must think Queen Anne was not so bad. She did some bad stuff but at least she imposed the Act of Union on Scotland.
By the way what is your view on forced marriages? Do you support them? Or are they tolerable?
This was distributed at Left Unity National Council on Saturday 20th September.
Statement by Left Unity Republican Socialist Tendency 20th September 2014
WE salute the Radical Independence Campaign the Scottish Green Party the Scottish Socialist Party and other groups on the Left for their role in in the YES campaign. This vibrant, democratic mass movement has empowered working class communities and engaged a new generation of youth in political action. Despite all the lies, threats and intimidation of the British State YES mobilised 1.6 Million people inspired by the vision of a new society based on fairness, equality and justice. This Achievement has already provoked a UK wide political crisis and has raised the issues of Constitutional and Democratic change not only in Scotland but in England, Wales and Ireland.
The Westminster Establishment, the ruling class elite, all main stream media, and the Monarchy exposed their corrupt nature during the Campaign. The Labour Party, acting as the cavalry and shock troops of the No Campaign, provided more evidence, that it is incapable of defending the interests of the working class in Scotland, Wales or England.’Project Fear’ may have temporarily saved the Union but the Victory for No does not mean a return to ‘business as usual’ at Westminster. Cameron, Clegg and Miliband have all promised ‘change’.
The genie is out of the bottle and all the contradictions of the the British State have come to the centre stage of politics. As the largest most centralised country in the Union the contradictions are deepest in England. Unlike the rise of civic and inclusive Left leaning ‘nationalism’ in Scotland and Wales with a political expression via the SNP and Plaid Cymru the fostering of an incoherent backward ‘English/British Nationalism’ by reactionary populists like Farage backed by many in the Tory Party represents a clear and present danger. Socialists in England need to champion an alternative inclusive and democratic vision of what England can become.
For over 100 years the decline and fall of the British Empire, created a dynamic towards the break up of the British State this first exploded in the Easter Rising of1916. This dynamic is continuing Ireland may remain partitioned but Sinn Fein [the largest all Ireland Party and part of the United European Left] has already used the current crisis to demand a ‘Border Poll’ under the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. ‘Unionism’ as a political ideology is a rotting corpse that needs to be buried as soon as possible or its ghost will continue to haunt the Working Class in Ireland, Scotland Wales and England.
WE look to our sisters and brothers in Scotland for inspiration and believe we have an opportunity to build a new movement for Peoples Democracy based upon Republican and Socialist principles to secure a genuinely democratic constitutional settlement in these Islands for all the people who live in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Mark Anthony France: On Behalf of Left Unity Republican Socialist Tendency
If Mark Antony France and his Left Nationalist co-thinkers really believe that the rise of petty nationalism in Wales, Scotland, and let’s not forget Cornwall(Kernew) , really represents:
“the rise of civic and inclusive Left leaning ‘nationalism’ in Scotland and Wales with a political expression via the SNP and Plaid Cymru ”
Then the political logic of their position is surely to JOIN the nationalist organisations in each of these places – and seek to actually produce some real socialist policies in these determinedly root and branch pro capitalist parties – rather than promoting their sectarian left nationalism in a socialist internationalist part like Left Unity.
Of course anyone who has actually lived and worked in Wales and Scotland (as I have) will know that Welsh nationalism is fundamentally riddled with a rabid anti English sentiment and provides the 20% minority of the Welsh who actually speak Welsh with a sectarian privileged route to the best jobs in the public sector in particular. Similarly Scottish Nationalism is also riddled with the “myth of Scottish national victimhood” and profound anti English sentiment.
Both petty anachronistic nationalisms are a complete diversion from the priority task facing socialists today of building a united working class, across Britain, and Europe, to combat the Austerity Offensive and capitalism , in the interests of the working class itself – not some historically bogus cross-class mirage of creating a new even smaller set of new capitalist states based on a reactionary concept of “Scottishness” or “Welshness” .
Left Unity as a party will eventually have to take on these diversionery non-socialist factional political trends head-on, and reject them outright – if the party is to have any chance of building a broadly based socialist party across Britain aimed at uniting the working class.