Should Scotland鈥檚 people decide to separate from Britain in next month鈥檚 independence referendum, the English establishment may well be very unhappy with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose recent ham-fisted attack on Scottish nationalism appears to have given a boost.
Scotland
British Prime Minister David Cameron may want a politics-free Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but campaigners have railed against sponsors鈥 links to deaths and human rights abuses at home and abroad.
The Tory PM told business leaders on a jaunt to Glasgow University on July 23 that he wanted to steer clear of politics as the clock wound down to the games opening ceremony. A crowd of protesters thronged outside the university library where he spoke, with picketers ranging from the Radical Independence Coalition to Our People鈥檚 National Health Service.
鈥淒avid Cameron鈥檚 government is responsible for the most aggressive attack for over a century on our public services, our standard of living and on the future for jobs and a decent life for young people,鈥 said the , which is pushing for a 鈥測es鈥 vote in Scotland's September 18 referendum on independence. 鈥淭he millionaire cabinet are ruining the chances of a generation. By slashing services and privatising health and education they are driving our young people to despair.鈥
Scotland will vote on independence from Britain September 18. Despite a strong campaign by establishment figures for a 鈥渘o鈥 vote, polls showing growing support for independence, although still not a majority.
Below, Colin Fox explains why Scottish independence will be a blow to austerity and a win for working people. Fox is the nation spokesperson for Scottish Socialist Party and a former member of Scottish parliament, and sits on the Yes Scotland advisory board.
After a few years in the making, Partizan Travel has finally been launched. It is a social enterprise that provides progressive-minded people across the world the chance to visit various countries in a different, authentic way.
Visitors will learn about those nations by meeting grassroots activists and hearing about the history and reality of their struggles. They will take part in political events, enjoy local culture and traditional food.
Campaigners for Scottish independence have received another boost as a branch of the public sector trade union Unison sided 鈥減ositively with the Yes side鈥 in a debate on Scotland's September 18 referendum on whether to remain part of Britain.
Scotland will vote on September 18 on whether to become an independent nation or stay in the British 鈥渦nion鈥 led by England that includes Wales and Northern Ireland. Independence is opposed by major political parties in Westminster and establishment forces in England and Scotland. However, support for independence is growing.
Tommy Docherty, the legendary wit and former manager of Manchester United, once quipped after his team had suffered a humiliating defeat, 鈥淲e lost 4-0 and frankly we were lucky to get the nil鈥. The Tories in Scotland know just how he felt, for they are so hated that out of 56 MPs they have just one, and they were lucky to get that!
British Olympics chiefs are reported by the media to be 鈥渇urious鈥 after Welsh and Scottish players with the 鈥淭eam Great Britain鈥 soccer squads did not sing 鈥淕od Save the Queen鈥 in official ceremonies before kick-off.
Welsh players Craig Bellamy, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and team captain Ryan Giggs all remained tight-lipped during the anthem ahead of the July 28 match with United Arab Emirates.
A Rose Loupt Oot
Edited by David Betteridge
Smokestack Books 2011
拢8.95, 64 pages
www.smokestack-books.co.uk
Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the work-in Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) in 1971, a campaign by Scottish workers that resulted in the reversal of the Conservative government鈥檚 decision to close down a number of shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow.
A Rose Loupt Oot is a collection of poems, songs and artwork marking the anniversary.
Almost a year after the Scottish National Party鈥檚 (SNP) landslide victory we have a date 鈥 Autumn 2014 鈥 for the most important referendum in Scottish history.
Scotland will vote on whether it stays in a union [the 鈥淯nited Kingdom鈥漖 dominated by the right wing 鈥 a state that invaded Iraq, imposed nuclear weapons on the Clyde and destroyed Scotland鈥檚 industrial base 鈥 or become an independent nation. As such, it would have the power to fundamentally change Scotland for the better and reflect the left of centre political terrain instead of being dominated by the Tory home counties.
Downfall: The Tommy Sheridan Story
By Alan McCombes,
Birlinn 2011
326 pages, pb 拢9.99
In the elections to the Scottish parliament in May 2003, the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) polled just under a quarter of a million votes and won six seats.
By any stretch of the imagination this was a remarkable achievement for a party well to the left of Labour. It was a beacon of hope and inspiration for socialists the world over.
By 2011, the SSP鈥檚 vote had slumped to below 9000. It failed to regain any of the six seats it had lost in 2007.
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