Jim Sillars says independence supporters are woefully under-prepared for a federated frontal-assault Nicola Sturgeon has taken those in the independence movement into a mental and emotional trench. I had hoped they would clamber out of the trench when her speech on 31 January 2020 indicated acceptance of reality – no indyref2 this year. But they […]
Alex Rowley explains why Scottish Labour supports a revised devolution settlement Scotland remains divided on the question of independence, but on the question of holding a second referendum anytime soon, polls have shown a consistent and overwhelming majority saying now is not the time. The Scottish Labour Party recognises the sovereign right of the Scottish […]
Stuart Graham lays out what needs to be done in the unions in the run up to the November conference The lack of urgency among unions about the climate crisis is concerning. In mid-February, after a fortnight of yellow/amber weather warnings causing widespread damage and flooding, increasingly what is happening on the news is likely […]
Mary Church argues COP26 in Glasgow in 2020 must be a rallying point for people and planet The outcomes of the longest ever meeting in the history of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – the COP25 negotiations in Madrid – have failed to reflect the urgency of the crisis or any grasp of […]
Oscar Mendoza explains the roots of the revolt and the emergence of new progressive forces A social explosion started on Friday 18 October 2019 in Chile, triggered by mass fares avoidance by mainly students in the Santiago subway, rejecting an increase of 30 Pesos (a few pence) in the peak time one-way ticket. It baffled […]
The word, pacifism, was coined in Scotland in the early twentieth century. Tim Gee asks if is it time to broaden its scope. In 2011, after a racial slur was used on a women’s rights march, writer Flavia Dzodan wrote a blog called, ‘My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit’. The framing […]
Albert Brenchat Aguilar recounts the unseen and forgotten workers that make conference happen and their fightback I dish nibbles and pour wine at events in University College London (UCL). I serve water at the start. I put chairs and tables in place and move them across venues. I pick up coffee cups from the floor. […]
Reflecting on his experience of applying to university, Patrick Phillips gives a critical appraisal Last summer I applied to ‘attend’ university. ‘What are you attending to, or, for?’ was a question that made me wonder. When we say we are ‘going to university,’ how have we imagined, or rather perceived, what our final destination will […]
Campbell Martin gives an update on his expose on the PPP scandal in North Ayrshire When ‘new’ Labour swept to power in 1997, the party embraced the Tories’ Private Finance Initiative (PFI) method of funding public sector capital projects. However, having ridiculed the funding method while in opposition, ‘new’ Labour, once in government, rebranded PFI […]
Dylan Hamilton reflects on what was achieved in the September climate action On Friday 20 September, the week of climate action started with a global strike for climate. Around the world, people took to the streets to protest against the destruction of our climate with an incredible total of 7.5m. There was a strike on […]