Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
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The Control of the Public Realm
19 Apr 2013
I wasn't planning to write about Thatcher. I reviewed "The Iron Lady" when it came out which pretty much summed up what I wanted to say about her, but I think her death has made a statement or perhaps exposed a truth that wasn't expected. The links between the run …
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Why the Bedroom Tax is a Women’s Issue
15 Mar 2013
The "Bedroom Tax" - a reduction in housing benefit for those living in social housing who are deemed to have a "spare" bedroom is due to come in next month. Under this new regime, anyone receiving housing benefit will face a cut of 14% if they are considered to have …
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Sexual Violence and the Greek Left
14 Feb 2013
Article also available in French As anyone who reads this blog, particularly the updates from Greece will know, this is incredibly difficult time in the country's history. The veil of democracy which hides an authoritarian and despotic government is threadbare, and the rise of an openly fascist party, combining thuggery …
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Further thoughts on the ISG
03 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Sarah Collins, ISG National Secretary (personal capacity) I do not usually wish to dredge up the past of ‘the split’ with the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). I honestly feel that the International Socialist Group (ISG) has moved past this. Nonetheless, I think that some of the comments …
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Moving Forward, Slowly but Surely
03 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Cat Boyd, ISG Activist I welcome the comments on sexism in Laura McKeon's article "The Best Thing Going? A Feminist Critique of the ISG", as I’m sure the majority of women in the International Socialist Group (ISG) - and women on the left- do. Being in an organisation …
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The Best Thing Going? A Feminist Critique of the ISG
01 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Laura McKeon Article also available in French The current schism in the Socialist Workers Party(SWP) has nothing to do with sexism. At times of crisis, sexism is merely a useful political tool. Like every time things blow up at conference, a scandal is unearthed, or notable members …
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Rape and Community Response
25 Jan 2013
The recent scandal in the Socialist Workers Party has reignited a lot of issues around rape within radical communities, and more generally. One of the themes raised by this issue has been the establishment of a kangaroo court which exonerated the accused. Commentators have questioned both why the police were …
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On the Eve of the European Anti-fascist Mobilisation
18 Jan 2013
The political climate in Greece, both on the streets and in the parliament is hotting up. There is no such thing as a slow news day in Athens. Just before Christmas, Villa Amalias, a well established and much loved squat, was raided by police, with multiple arrests of the occupants. …
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Misogynists and the Left
06 Jan 2013
First Gerry Healy, then Tommy Sheridan, George Galloway and now Martin Smith. Why are so many men who obtain leadership positions within socialist organisations so ignorant of women's rights that they sexually abuse women, excuse sexual violence and participate in sexual exploitation? Article also available in French and Greek Most …
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On Chris Bambery’s Organisation
29 Dec 2012
In April 2011, the International Socialist Group was formed by 39 members of the Socialist Workers Party in Scotland. The letter sent to the SWP, announcing its formation makes reference to a number of issues that they have with that organisation, including the treatment of Chris Bambery, who had just resigned …
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Update from Greece
24 Dec 2012
The image of Greece that many people have - of whitewashed villas with blue trim, looking out onto onto an endless expanse of sea, of little tavernas, olive groves and elderly Greek grandmothers informed by a million holiday brochures and postcards, has been taken over of late with images of …
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Nae Nazis here
01 Sep 2012
The Scottish Defence League (SDL), all twelve of them have been at it again. A wee day outing to Dundee this time, I suppose it gives their communities respite for the day. They came, they were kettled, they shuffled off, I guess Dundee was a bit too far into the …
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Brand and the Record are Wrong on Heroin Addiction
27 Aug 2012
Guest Post by Stuart Rodger Heroin addiction has hit the headlines once again and – as ever with drug policy – much of what is being said is misguided at best and plain wrong at worst. Russell Brand’s documentary From Addiction to Recovery aggressively criticized the methadone maintenance programme and …
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Showing Respect for Women’s Voices
24 Aug 2012
Last week, George Galloway, a darling of the English Left, made some pretty unacceptable comments. The general creepy aura that surrounds him when you meet him in person spilled over into the pages of the news paper and he held court on his views around "sexual ettiquette" and requests for "insertion", …
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Are We Surprised?
22 Aug 2012
Guest post from Laura McKeon Are we surprised? The left creates heroes of men like George Galloway, then feigns shock at their chauvinism. I see his comments as part of a wider network of sexist beliefs that are shared to a lesser or greater extent in different sectors of the …
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Homelessness and Glasgow City Council
30 Jul 2012
This is the experience that I have had with a friend of mine, who turned up yesterday on my doorstep having seen her once only briefly over the previous couple of years. It spans two days of phone calls, police involvement, hospital attendances and homeless units. I have her full permission …
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Hard times are a comin’
14 Jul 2012
The UK economy is going through a turbulent phase. Although not quite at the depths of the Greek or Spanish economy, hard times are a comin'. Greece and Spain gives us an insight into what may happen, with increased levels of destitution, prostitution and despair, accompanied by brutal crack downs …
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When wages becomes a radical demand
29 Jun 2012
On Twitter the other day, someone asked "When did a fair day's pay for a fair day's work become a radical demand?" Truth is that this demand has always been a radical one. For as long as people have had others work for them they have sought to extract surplus …
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Refugees welcome; Racists can fuck off.
17 Jun 2012
Yesterday, a solidarity demo with refugees facing eviction, destitution and deportation was held in Glasgow. The last twelve years have seen a massive shift in Glasgow's demographic since the first asylum seekers were transported up here, shoved onto buses not knowing where they were going and dumped in condemned tower …
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Class and the means of re/production
12 Jun 2012
One of the recurrent themes in lefty blogs that I frequent that have a non-Marxist perspective is the theory of "classism". Now as any good Marxist knows from when they were just a little ity, bity Marxlet, class is based on the relationship to the means of production - yes …
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Athens: The KKE
03 May 2012
The largest far left parliamentary party in Greece is the Communist Party - the KKE. Tensions run high on the left between the KKE and the anarchists. Both groups believe the other is police infiltrated and working contrary to the aims of the left. Speaking to some of the workers …
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Just a little slice of Glasgow Life
25 Apr 2012
David Cameron's great vision for combatting the austerity being imposed on the UK is the "Big Society". No-one really seemed to know what it was all about except that it involved people working for free. But as with all things in time it's become clearer. If you're on the …
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Declare Scotland A Tory-Free Zone
23 Mar 2012
The Scottish Tory Party are meeting this weekend in Troon. Apparently they couldn't find a venue small enough in a larger town and BT wont rent phoneboxes. The Scottish Tory is a strange breed, extraordinarily rare and quite exotic. To see more than ten of them gathered together in the one place …
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Money, Debt and Marx
22 Mar 2012One of the pre-occupations (gettit?) of the Occupy Movement which is emerging as a major theme is that of the monetary system. But as Norfolk Community Action Group points out the narrative being presented is populist, shallow and frequently interfused with a good dose of conspiraloonacy and outright racism. Videos …
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The Health of Nations
13 Mar 2012
I've been watching the twisty-turny passage of the NHS bill through the Commons and Lords, with horror mixed with relief. The devolution settlement means that the Scottish NHS is not subject to the same privatisation, and although as with other international struggles, I offer my solidarity to the people of …