Lamont Finally Admits What We Knew All Along

I was going to write something about Johann Lamont publicly announcing the death of the Labour Party in Scotland, but I've got a lot on tonight and can't be arsed. Here's a couple of blogs well worth reading on the subject though (they pretty much cover my thoughts on the matter anyway)...

This one gives good insight into the political consequences of SLAB's swing to the right - http://reidfoundation.org/2012/09/is-this-the-end-of-scottish-labour/

This one gives an excellent trade union angle on the traitors' abandonment of universalism - http://internationalsocialist.org.uk/index.php/blog/trade-unionists-wheres-the-labour-in-scottish-labour/

Otherwise, I'll just give a brief summary for those who missed it. Johann Lamont has announced a rejection of...

1. The Council Tax freeze

2. Free education

3. Free prescriptions

4. Free care for elderly people

5. Bus passes for elderly people

6. Apprenticeships

7. The Labour Movement

...well, she still hasn't admitted to the last one.

I've previously said that a yes vote in the 2014 referendum was as good a chance as Scotland has to get rid of the Tories, but it's also as good a chance as we have to get rid of Labour. Let's be very clear about this, the referendum is now a left v right battleground. Lamont has aligned herself with the right-wing's no campaign, so if you chose to vote no in 2014, you'll be doing the same.

Anyway, for more info read the blogs I've linked to above. It's well worth your time.

Cheers.

You Don't Have To Be A Nationalist To Support Independence

I've always been highly suspicious of the motives of the old left in Scotland (be that Labour, the SWP or anyone else). Whilst they claim to be on the side of the working class, they have always argued in favour of Scotland (and as such, the Scottish working-class) remaining part of a UK which they otherwise would view as crypto-fascist and imperialist. I can only conclude that they do this for one of two reasons - either they are a) stupid or b) have vested interests in maintaining the status quo.

Whilst I am not an activist within Scotland's new left, I've greatly welcomed their emergence. The old left has always celebrated Scotland's strong socialist tendencies, but it's taken the new left to point out to them that the only way these tendencies can truly flourish is via independence. If you're a socialist, surely it's obvious that the prospect of Scottish-wide socialism is far better than the reality of British-wide capitalism?

So, how does this tie in with the title of this article? Well, the new left hardly shares common ground with the SNP. Whilst the SNP's stated ambition is to promote the economic and cultural wellbeing of an independent Scotland, the new left is much more interested in undermining the UK's ability to wage war against the working-class both at home and overseas, arguing that via independence, it can do this. As such, I wouldn't describe the new left as nationalists and I don't think they'd thank me if I did. What the new left's position demonstrates is that independence is not the sole preserve of nationalists, but rather it can be a means to an end for a variety of political positions.

So whether you're a nationalist or not, before you cast your vote in 2014, unless you want to explain to your children why you stood by and did nothing while the ConDems destroyed their job prospects and public services, you need to seriously consider the fact that independence is the only mechanism we have to throw off the shackles of austerity and create a better future for ourselves and our children.