The independence referendum has become a straight up left/right fight
There is, of course, a left wing case for opposing Scottish independence. It is articulated best by the likes of Owen Jones – ‘we shouldn’t divide the working class’. Likewise, there is, of course, a right wing case for independence – the Scottish Enterprise Party got a handful of votes for espousing it, once upon [...]
Scottish independence would be good for the English left
No Labour government has relied on Scottish MPs to get into power. They have, however, relied on Scottish MPs to get right wing policies through. The former point may be surprising – we are forever hearing that independence will leave the rest of the UK with perpetual Tory governments. But look historically and this simply [...]
Communication Workers’ Union branch backs independence
The CWU Scotland No 2 Branch has voted to back a yes vote in the independence referendum next year. The union, which covers postal workers in the Stirling, Edinburgh, Fife and Falkirk, has voted to play an active role in the campaign for Scottish independence. The vote is symbolic because it is the first union [...]
Radical Independence Conference: Wealth of the commons
Sarah Beattie-Smith reports from the Bright Green session at the Radical Independence Conference.
Bright Green at the Radical Independence Conference
Bright Green will host the workshop “Wealth of the Commons: A Green economy for a progressive, prosperous Scotland” at the Radical Independence Conference in Glasgow this weekend.
Why I support independence
Governments should be closer to people. I wish politicians would stop deciding to send teenagers to kill and die in foreign adventures. But if ministers are going to launch a war, they should not issue their commands from a limestone palace hundreds of miles away. There should be a good chance they know some of [...]
Time to take Britain out of our greatness
This guest post from Anthony Barnett was first on Our Kingdom Alex Salmond’s Hugo Young lecture, delivered yesterday evening in King’s Place, the Guardian’s headquarters, was an enjoyable affair. It was also, thanks to Tory policy and IPPR’s research, a potentially important moment – a turning point, even, in what can legitimately be called ‘this [...]
Scottish Independence: the no campaign and how to deal with it
It is becoming clear what the strategy of the ‘no’ to independence campaign will be: confusion. So far, we’ve had a few opening shots: lines which the UK nationalists presumably hope will ricochet down the next couple of years: what will currency be? What about the Scottish army? Even, ‘who will own Rockall‘? OK, maybe [...]
The Scottish Independence Debate and England
I’ve just finished listening to a particularly unenlightening discussion of the UK’s constitutional future on BBC Radio 4 and, once again, I’m left despairing at the shallowness of the analysis. For a start, this is not just a debate about Scotland and England. There are two other nations in the United Kingdom which the BBC [...]
Three more thoughts on the Scottish independence shenanigans
On Tuesday I wrote up three thoughts on the scrap over Scottish independence. Here are three more. First: PMQs this week saw Cameron and Miliband attempt their opening gambits on independence. As the long campaign effectively kicks off, they both stumbled a little. Miliband pointed to the need to ‘have the discussion about the serious [...]
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