An orchestrated campaign to privatise Scottish Water is underway, and as Tommy Kane and Kyle Mitchell show only those running it stand to benefit. Plans to privatise Scottish Water (SW) and remove it from public control have, yet again, intensified. This time, however, the purveyors of privatisation make their case in the backdrop of uncertain […]
Kevin Lindsay shows that both the social and economic case for the full renationalisation of the rail network stack up. But which political party will take a lead? David Cameron’s often-mentioned desire to strengthen his party’s relationship with Scotland will not have been helped by money-saving proposals to axe a number of direct rail links […]
As a tribute, here we reprint a presentation Edwin Morgan gave to a Scottish Left Review event at the Edinburgh Festival in 2002, entitled ‘Scottish Fiction’ I’ll begin by taking up some of the topics which the Scottish Left Review asked its three speakers to consider. I think ‘consider’ is the word, since in many […]
Tributes from Bob Thomson, Eileen Reid, Murray Ritchie, Elaine Smith, Derek Simpson, John Quigley “The golden age will then revive; each man shall be a brother, In harmony we all shall live and till the earth together, In virtue trained, enlightened youth shall move each fellow creature And time shall surely prove the truth that […]
The last nine months have not been ones during with the UK’s political parties –and others – have covered themselves in glory. In fact, it has been a period for which redemption should be sought. But what would that mean for each of the parties involved?
In the wake of the scandals at Glasgow City Council Issue 58 of the Scottish Left Review takes a look at the issues facing the governance of our four major cities. The conclusion is that the excessively close relationship between elected officials and leading business figures is harming local democracy in Scotland. Our contributors are:Neil Gray and Leigh French on Glasgow,Peter McColl on Edinburgh, John McAllionon Dundee, John Aberdein on Aberdeen.
Whatever way you look at it, 2010 has been a bad year for the left. Firstly there was more than enough evidence by the end of last year that not only had the bad guys gotten away with ruining the global economy, they had quickly converted their own crimes into an indictment against those who are blameless.
John McAllion of the SSP and Gordon Morgan of Solidarity debate the path to bringing a fragmented Scottish left together - and hope for a ‘movement of movements’
Vince Mills sees no easy route to change in a Scottish Labour Party with a complacent leadership
Kevin Williamson argues that the SNP holds some aces – if it can play them properly