19th of March saw the St Andrews Student Union Elections, with great disappointment for the Radical Candidates standing.
Terry Fulton stood for Director of Representation, on a platform of affordable accommodation and rebuilding the Union into a functioning body. Losing to the three other candidates.
Ben Bridgman lost to Becca Ladley for the position of Association Chair.
And James Morris running for SRC Accommodation Officer on a platform of Structural Change, Affordability and Transparency, lost to Conservative candidate Sunny Moodie whom wished to "Preserve St Andrews Architecture" with the results 844 votes to 1016 votes.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Saturday, 13 March 2010
St Andrews "Radicals" run for positions in the Student Union
St Andrews Socialists, Greens and Anarchists run again this year for positions in the St Andrews Student Union in an attempt to change the policy and structure of the University.
Terry Fulton is running for Director of Representation, Benjamin Bridgman is running for Asscoiation Chair and James Morris for SRC Accommodation Officer.
Results will be posted here after the election on Friday 19th.
Terry Fulton is running for Director of Representation, Benjamin Bridgman is running for Asscoiation Chair and James Morris for SRC Accommodation Officer.
Results will be posted here after the election on Friday 19th.
Friday, 5 March 2010
The Yes Men Fix The World, Plus a Discussion with Mike Bonanno!
Tuesday, 9 March, the Centre for Film Studies (the University of St Andrews) will host a screening of THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD, a documentary by political pranksters and culture jammers, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno-- possibly best known for their recent hijacking of the BBC when they pretended to be Dow Chemical and took responsibility for the industrial tragedy in Bhopal.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Yes Man and co-director,
Mike Bonanno.
Date and Time: Tuesday, 9 March starting at 5.15pm
Place: School V (North Street)
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Yes Man and co-director,
Mike Bonanno.
Date and Time: Tuesday, 9 March starting at 5.15pm
Place: School V (North Street)
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Independence and Socialism
By John McAllion
THE class struggle in Scotland has always been both nationalist and socialist.
The 1787 massacre of striking Calton weavers by British soldiers near what was then Glasgow is generally recognised as marking the beginning of an organised, effective Scottish labour movement.
The weavers’ banner on that day, and subsequently on many other days up to its seizure by Tory magistrates in 1819, showed Scotland’s national hero William Wallace striking down the beast of tyranny.
Scots Wha Hae, Scotland’s unofficial national anthem penned by Robert Burns in 1793, deliberately sided with early working class struggles against the reactionary Pitt government in London and its despotic manager in Scotland
Henry Dundas.
The Scottish radical uprising and general strike of 1820 united behind the slogan “Scotland Free or a Desert”. So, from the very beginnings of the labour movement in Scotland, there has existed a radical tradition that consistently connected the struggles for workers’ rights with the demand for Scottish independence.
That tradition was carried into the 20th century by the likes of Keir Hardie who throughout a parliamentary career in which he represented only English constituencies remained a passionate believer in the cause of Scottish home rule.
Most notably, of course, it was upheld by the great internationalist John Maclean who was calling for an independent Scottish Socialist Workers’ Republic at a time when Ramsay MacDonald was priming the British Labour Party for its historic role as a safe and respectable alternative to Tory government trapped within a capitalist, imperialist and constitutional monarchy.
Today Scottish socialists like Jimmy Reid, one of the leaders of the 1970’s UCS workers’ struggle, continue to campaign for socialist change from within the SNP, while the bulk of the Scottish nationalist Left carry on the fight for Maclean’s socialist republic as part of the SSP.
They represent a continuing tradition of libertarian and democratic struggle from below that stands in stark contrast to the Westminster model of a parliamentary elite making change happen from above.
Breaking free from the stranglehold of that Westminster model remains one of the key challenges facing the Left across Britain today.
Genuine popular control over state institutions and the economic levers of power cannot happen in a British state in which the people are designated as subjects and political sovereignty rests with the Crown-in-Parliament.
The radical participatory politics that characterise revolutions in Venezuela and other Latin American countries are ruled out here by a British two-party electoral system that effectively blocks radical change and restricts political choice to voting for either of the two big pro-business parties committed to defending the neo-liberal status quo.
A democratic revolution cannot happen in a Britain in which an hereditary monarchy and an unelected House of Lords keep a tight political rein on a Commons majority elected last time with the support of less than a quarter of those entitled to vote.
It cannot happen either in a Britain without a Bill of Rights and where citizens can be arrested and held without hard evidence or charge for up to 6 weeks.
It is time to recognise that the breakup of the authoritarian British state is now a precondition of securing progressive socialist change for the peoples of this island.
The national struggles that will follow the break-up of Britain open up opportunities for the Left to force a radical political agenda that otherwise remains excluded from mainstream politics and forever stymied under the ancient regime of the British constitution.
The ending of the British warfare state, constitutional guarantees of civil liberties, republican citizenship, participatory democracy, genuinely popular control of public services, an economy run for the people rather than for profit - these and many other important areas of policy will be thrown into the melting pot from which people’s republics in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland will emerge.
The alternative is to remain ensnared within the carefully contrived limits of a constitution that for more than 300 years has been successfully blocking all threats of radical change in order to preserve the stability of the oldest capitalist state form in the world. Socialists owe no kind of loyalty to that Britain.
We do have a responsibility to help its peoples escape from the chains of British history.
THE class struggle in Scotland has always been both nationalist and socialist.
The 1787 massacre of striking Calton weavers by British soldiers near what was then Glasgow is generally recognised as marking the beginning of an organised, effective Scottish labour movement.
The weavers’ banner on that day, and subsequently on many other days up to its seizure by Tory magistrates in 1819, showed Scotland’s national hero William Wallace striking down the beast of tyranny.
Scots Wha Hae, Scotland’s unofficial national anthem penned by Robert Burns in 1793, deliberately sided with early working class struggles against the reactionary Pitt government in London and its despotic manager in Scotland
Henry Dundas.
The Scottish radical uprising and general strike of 1820 united behind the slogan “Scotland Free or a Desert”. So, from the very beginnings of the labour movement in Scotland, there has existed a radical tradition that consistently connected the struggles for workers’ rights with the demand for Scottish independence.
That tradition was carried into the 20th century by the likes of Keir Hardie who throughout a parliamentary career in which he represented only English constituencies remained a passionate believer in the cause of Scottish home rule.
Most notably, of course, it was upheld by the great internationalist John Maclean who was calling for an independent Scottish Socialist Workers’ Republic at a time when Ramsay MacDonald was priming the British Labour Party for its historic role as a safe and respectable alternative to Tory government trapped within a capitalist, imperialist and constitutional monarchy.
Today Scottish socialists like Jimmy Reid, one of the leaders of the 1970’s UCS workers’ struggle, continue to campaign for socialist change from within the SNP, while the bulk of the Scottish nationalist Left carry on the fight for Maclean’s socialist republic as part of the SSP.
They represent a continuing tradition of libertarian and democratic struggle from below that stands in stark contrast to the Westminster model of a parliamentary elite making change happen from above.
Breaking free from the stranglehold of that Westminster model remains one of the key challenges facing the Left across Britain today.
Genuine popular control over state institutions and the economic levers of power cannot happen in a British state in which the people are designated as subjects and political sovereignty rests with the Crown-in-Parliament.
The radical participatory politics that characterise revolutions in Venezuela and other Latin American countries are ruled out here by a British two-party electoral system that effectively blocks radical change and restricts political choice to voting for either of the two big pro-business parties committed to defending the neo-liberal status quo.
A democratic revolution cannot happen in a Britain in which an hereditary monarchy and an unelected House of Lords keep a tight political rein on a Commons majority elected last time with the support of less than a quarter of those entitled to vote.
It cannot happen either in a Britain without a Bill of Rights and where citizens can be arrested and held without hard evidence or charge for up to 6 weeks.
It is time to recognise that the breakup of the authoritarian British state is now a precondition of securing progressive socialist change for the peoples of this island.
The national struggles that will follow the break-up of Britain open up opportunities for the Left to force a radical political agenda that otherwise remains excluded from mainstream politics and forever stymied under the ancient regime of the British constitution.
The ending of the British warfare state, constitutional guarantees of civil liberties, republican citizenship, participatory democracy, genuinely popular control of public services, an economy run for the people rather than for profit - these and many other important areas of policy will be thrown into the melting pot from which people’s republics in Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland will emerge.
The alternative is to remain ensnared within the carefully contrived limits of a constitution that for more than 300 years has been successfully blocking all threats of radical change in order to preserve the stability of the oldest capitalist state form in the world. Socialists owe no kind of loyalty to that Britain.
We do have a responsibility to help its peoples escape from the chains of British history.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Colin Fox takes on Chancellor Darling in General Election Challenge
Colin Fox takes on Chancellor Darling in General Election challenge - Source www.scottishsocialistparty.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSP joint national spokesman Colin Fox will challenge Chancellor Alistair Darling in the General Election and the party will look to target 10 key seats across Scotland in the poll.
Colin Fox said :
"The SSP will fight the General Election on two key battlegrounds, the economy and Afghanistan.
"We will take the fight to Alastair Darling in his own constituency on his stewardship of the economy, the fact that he took this country into the deepest and worst recession in 80 years and because he now intends to slaughter the jobs and services of working people to pay for his incompetence and his banker’s greed.
"Equally, we will be the only party in this election opposed to the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan and calling for an immediete withdrawal of British troops.
“Despite the undemocratic voting system and exorbitant cost of standing candidates the Scottish Socialist Party will offer a bright alternative to the 4 neo-liberal, warmongering parties in Scotland—Labour, Lib Dem, Tories and SNP—who are shamefully trying to outdo one another to see who can make the most savage cuts in jobs and essential services.
“Our message is clear therefore—those who caused the banking crisis should pay for it. That means higher taxes and sacrifices by those enjoying their luxury lifestyles. Working people like nurses, teachers, firefighters and postalworkers didn’t cause the crisis and they shouldn’t be expected to pick up the bill for it with pay cuts and sackings. That's the social justice we believe millions of Scots expect to see.
“In what will be an unsavoury 'doom and gloom' election contest about which party can best satisfy the City of London's demands for slashed public services and cuts jobs the SSP will stand out as a bright alternative, a welcome light of optimism, with our message that there is no way we will accept cuts and hardship for working people. There is an alternative, the SSP say another way is possible.”
“I particularly relish the prospect of challenging Alastair Darling the former revolutionary socialist and now arch conservative neo-liberal Chancellor justifying his plans for feather bedding the rich and assaulting the pay and conditions of those who used to be Labour’s key supporters in Edinburgh South West.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSP joint national spokesman Colin Fox will challenge Chancellor Alistair Darling in the General Election and the party will look to target 10 key seats across Scotland in the poll.
Colin Fox said :
"The SSP will fight the General Election on two key battlegrounds, the economy and Afghanistan.
"We will take the fight to Alastair Darling in his own constituency on his stewardship of the economy, the fact that he took this country into the deepest and worst recession in 80 years and because he now intends to slaughter the jobs and services of working people to pay for his incompetence and his banker’s greed.
"Equally, we will be the only party in this election opposed to the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan and calling for an immediete withdrawal of British troops.
“Despite the undemocratic voting system and exorbitant cost of standing candidates the Scottish Socialist Party will offer a bright alternative to the 4 neo-liberal, warmongering parties in Scotland—Labour, Lib Dem, Tories and SNP—who are shamefully trying to outdo one another to see who can make the most savage cuts in jobs and essential services.
“Our message is clear therefore—those who caused the banking crisis should pay for it. That means higher taxes and sacrifices by those enjoying their luxury lifestyles. Working people like nurses, teachers, firefighters and postalworkers didn’t cause the crisis and they shouldn’t be expected to pick up the bill for it with pay cuts and sackings. That's the social justice we believe millions of Scots expect to see.
“In what will be an unsavoury 'doom and gloom' election contest about which party can best satisfy the City of London's demands for slashed public services and cuts jobs the SSP will stand out as a bright alternative, a welcome light of optimism, with our message that there is no way we will accept cuts and hardship for working people. There is an alternative, the SSP say another way is possible.”
“I particularly relish the prospect of challenging Alastair Darling the former revolutionary socialist and now arch conservative neo-liberal Chancellor justifying his plans for feather bedding the rich and assaulting the pay and conditions of those who used to be Labour’s key supporters in Edinburgh South West.”
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Socialist and Afghan leaders join forces for anti-war talks
Published Date: 07 January 2010
SCOTTISH Socialist Party leader Colin Fox and the leader of Scotland's Afghan community will call for the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan when they address a public meeting in Musselburgh next week.
Mr Fox and Mohammed Asif, chairman of the Scottish Afghan Society, will be joined on the platform at the Brunton Theatre on Tuesday by Joan Humphreys, whose grandson, Private Kevin Elliot, was killed in Helmand province in August while serving with the Black Watch.
Mr Fox, former Lothians MSP, said the latest opinion polls showed that 70 per cent of British people wanted the troops to be brought home.
He said: "Britain has been occupying Afghanistan for the past eight years. Tony Blair said the invasion in 2001 was in retaliation for the 9/11 bombing.
"We know now, as he knew then, that not one single Afghan was involved in those heinous attacks.
"Afghanistan has never threatened us yet some 50,000 innocent Afghan civilians have been killed as a result of our invasion."
Mr Asif added: "People in Scotland should be in no doubt that Afghans deeply resent the occupation of our country. Whilst we hate the Taleban, it must be our right to replace them as we see fit.
"The Karzai regime in Kabul installed by the Americans is hated and corrupt."
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
SCOTTISH Socialist Party leader Colin Fox and the leader of Scotland's Afghan community will call for the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan when they address a public meeting in Musselburgh next week.
Mr Fox and Mohammed Asif, chairman of the Scottish Afghan Society, will be joined on the platform at the Brunton Theatre on Tuesday by Joan Humphreys, whose grandson, Private Kevin Elliot, was killed in Helmand province in August while serving with the Black Watch.
Mr Fox, former Lothians MSP, said the latest opinion polls showed that 70 per cent of British people wanted the troops to be brought home.
He said: "Britain has been occupying Afghanistan for the past eight years. Tony Blair said the invasion in 2001 was in retaliation for the 9/11 bombing.
"We know now, as he knew then, that not one single Afghan was involved in those heinous attacks.
"Afghanistan has never threatened us yet some 50,000 innocent Afghan civilians have been killed as a result of our invasion."
Mr Asif added: "People in Scotland should be in no doubt that Afghans deeply resent the occupation of our country. Whilst we hate the Taleban, it must be our right to replace them as we see fit.
"The Karzai regime in Kabul installed by the Americans is hated and corrupt."
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
Monday, 2 November 2009
St Andrews G20 Protest - "Press Release"
*************PLEASE DISTRIBUTE, FORWARD & RE-POST FAR & WIDE*************
In St. Andrews, we say "Nae Tae G20!
No to G20 neo-liberalism! No to economic exploitation! No to environmental
destruction!
Yes to sustainability, community cooperation and peoples' representation!
Yes to liberation, solidarity, equality, human rights and peace!
Yes to revolution!
On the first weekend in November, the financial leaders of the world's
twenty richest countries will be hosting closed door meetings in order to
decide how our world should be run. The Group of Twenty (G20) finance
ministers have chosen to host these meetings in the town of St. Andrews,
Scotland, and in response groups of residents and students have paved the
way to make our voices heard.
We the residents and students of this community are coming into the streets
to say loud and clear, "The G20 is not welcome in our town," or as the Scots
say, "Nae tae G-20!" We are joining together to say that the neo-liberal
development, trade and environmental policies furthered by the G20 will not
solve the global financial crisis, not solve the global ecological crisis
and do not address the ever-increasing wealth gap. We are resisting the G20
because it is a mechanism of the global ruling elite that seeks to enrich
the "1st world" at the expense of increasing poverty for the
"underdeveloped" and "developing" world.
There are a number of organizations making exciting plans in St. Andrews
during the weekend of the G20 meeting, and while Put People First (
g20standrews.org) has organized an educational event, we have set our sights
on getting people into the streets to show our collective dissent. To this
end we have called for two days of festive actions:
- Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:00am, join us for a protest rally at the
center of town fountain, located near the intersection of Market Street and
College Street.
- Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1:30pm, join us for a march, also starting at
the fountain at the center of town. The march will be gathering at 1:30pm
and departing by 2:00pm.
In addition to these actions, groups are encouraged to organize locally in
their communities, and come to St. Andrews to share their creative
resistance with us during these two days. We will do our best to support
your action if you require some assistance.
This action has been endorsed locally by Stop the War, the Scottish
Socialist Party, numerous St. Andrews University student societies, and
assorted Scottish workers unions.
Please direct all questions, endorsements, press inquiries and hate mail to
NaeTaeG20@gmail.com and for more information as it arises visit:
http://naetaeg20.wordpress.com/
See you in the streets, November 6th & 7th!
In St. Andrews, we say "Nae Tae G20!
No to G20 neo-liberalism! No to economic exploitation! No to environmental
destruction!
Yes to sustainability, community cooperation and peoples' representation!
Yes to liberation, solidarity, equality, human rights and peace!
Yes to revolution!
On the first weekend in November, the financial leaders of the world's
twenty richest countries will be hosting closed door meetings in order to
decide how our world should be run. The Group of Twenty (G20) finance
ministers have chosen to host these meetings in the town of St. Andrews,
Scotland, and in response groups of residents and students have paved the
way to make our voices heard.
We the residents and students of this community are coming into the streets
to say loud and clear, "The G20 is not welcome in our town," or as the Scots
say, "Nae tae G-20!" We are joining together to say that the neo-liberal
development, trade and environmental policies furthered by the G20 will not
solve the global financial crisis, not solve the global ecological crisis
and do not address the ever-increasing wealth gap. We are resisting the G20
because it is a mechanism of the global ruling elite that seeks to enrich
the "1st world" at the expense of increasing poverty for the
"underdeveloped" and "developing" world.
There are a number of organizations making exciting plans in St. Andrews
during the weekend of the G20 meeting, and while Put People First (
g20standrews.org) has organized an educational event, we have set our sights
on getting people into the streets to show our collective dissent. To this
end we have called for two days of festive actions:
- Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:00am, join us for a protest rally at the
center of town fountain, located near the intersection of Market Street and
College Street.
- Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1:30pm, join us for a march, also starting at
the fountain at the center of town. The march will be gathering at 1:30pm
and departing by 2:00pm.
In addition to these actions, groups are encouraged to organize locally in
their communities, and come to St. Andrews to share their creative
resistance with us during these two days. We will do our best to support
your action if you require some assistance.
This action has been endorsed locally by Stop the War, the Scottish
Socialist Party, numerous St. Andrews University student societies, and
assorted Scottish workers unions.
Please direct all questions, endorsements, press inquiries and hate mail to
NaeTaeG20@gmail.com and for more information as it arises visit:
http://naetaeg20.wordpress.com/
See you in the streets, November 6th & 7th!
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