Since September, discussions between Forth Ports, owner of the Port of Dundee, and Dundee City Council have progressed plans to establish a ‘freeport’ in the City.
Continue reading Dundee City Council Backs Rotten Freeport BidCategory: Theory & History
Will there be a post-COVID economic boom?
The world is breathing a collective sigh of relief at news that a viable vaccine may be in sight. With this comes the prospect of an end to the pandemic and a return to normality.
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John Hume (1937-2020): Watching through the window
John Hume — founding member of the SDLP in Northern Ireland, and key architect of the Good Friday Agreement — died this month, on the 3rd of August. Despite posthumous praise from the establishment, Hume’s lasting legacy has not benefited the working class.
Continue reading John Hume (1937-2020): Watching through the window
Land Inequality in Scotland: The Marxist Solution
The findings of the Scottish Land Commission’s research into land ownership in rural parts of the country has revealed that 70% percent of Scotland’s countryside lies in the hands of just over 1,100 owners.
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Why Marxists support Scottish Independence
Alex Johnson, IMT Edinburgh
The movement for Scottish independence has started heating up recently. Dozens of Yes groups have been reconvening after a period of ebb in the movement, the All Under One Banner march in Edinburgh saw estimates between 80,000 – 120,000 mobilising in support of an independent Scotland. Similar marches saw 40,000 – 70,000 in Glasgow and 10,000-20,000 in Stirling, Dundee, Dumfries and Inverness. With this upswing in activity, it is useful explain the Marxist approach to Independence.
Orange Reaction
By Shaun Morris, Glasgow Marxists
The shadow of sectarianism loomed large this summer, as the annual Orange Order marches drew criticism and outrage. In Belfast and other parts of the North of Ireland, loyalist mobs clashed with police and intimidated nationalist communities when bonfires were removed on safety grounds. In Scotland, a Catholic priest was spat on by a passing Orange parade.
Abolish The Monarchy: For a Workers Republic!
By Alex Johnson, IMT Edinburgh
With the recent announcement of the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the upcoming wedding, we call not for celebration of but the abolition of the monarchy. The royal family is a feudal relic and symbol of national chauvinism which, along with the House of Lords, reveals what our so-called ‘democracy’ really is – a system designed and run to serve the interests of the ruling class. The monarchy is a drain on the public purse, receiving handouts of £35.7 million per year on top of countless other expenses. The upcoming royal wedding is an excellent example of this. While the royal family will pay for the wedding ceremony, reception etc., the taxpayer will foot the bill for the policing, security costs and public order arrangements around the event. Kate and William’s 2011 wedding saw £15 million spent of policing alone, with 5000 officers deployed. This time we can expect the same arrangements, if not even greater measures following the recent increase in terrorist attacks.
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100 years on: remembering the Representation of the People Act
By Max Wright, IMT Edinburgh
A century ago, on 6th February 1918, the historic Representation of the People Act was passed. Importantly, the 1918 Act allowed 8.4 million women and 5.6 million men in Britain to vote for the very first time. As Marxists, it is important to examine the victories – and shortcomings – of one of the first steps towards universal suffrage.
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Catalonia and Caledonia
By John Webber, Glasgow
The violent repression of Catalan voters by theSpanish police inspired instinctive feelings of solidarity in people around the world. The shocking brutality of the Guardia Civil against completely unarmed civilians only wanting to cast a ballot was considered unthinkable in a European country. In a few days, the events in Catalonia exposed the anti-democratic nature of both the EU and the Spanish State as the unity of Spain was ensured by force. In Scotland, hundreds of people attended protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh called by the Radical Independence Campaign. In the eyes of RIC and many supporters of Scottish Independence, Catalonian Independence is an inspiration and a fraternal cause. The SNP conference also heard speeches condemning the actions of the Spanish Government and moderate messages of support for independence activists.
Scottish National Investment Bank: A Marxist View
The SNP Spring Conference endorsed a motion calling on the Scottish Government to establish a Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB). The idea of National Investment Banking has recently found favour among the left of British politics, with left wing Independence campaign Common Weal publishing a blueprint and Jeremy Corbyn proposing a British bank with regional branches as a key economic policy.
Continue reading Scottish National Investment Bank: A Marxist View
