SCOTLAND NEEDS A REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE NOW!

The news over the last few days that independence is the most popular constitutional option for the Scottish people will come as a surprise to some. In fact this reflects a consistent trend since devolution (the poll evidence is on our website) and it was the main reason for the formation of the non-party-political referendum campaign Independence First (http://www.independence1st.com/).

Independence First recently wrote to both the UK government and the Scottish Parliament calling for a democratic referendum for the people of Scotland on independence. After 300 years, surely the people of Scotland should be allowed a vote on whether they want the union to continue or not?

The Scottish Parliament responded: “Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 defines matters reserved to the UK Parliament. [According to this] the government of the United Kingdom is responsible for considering fundamental changes to the devolution framework.” The Scottish Office in London stated: “… the UK Parliament is sovereign and it is for Parliament to decide whether to hold a referendum on any particular issue — and what the terms should be.”

These answers are pretty much what we expected, and utterly unacceptable. The Scottish Parliament wants to pass the buck, while Westminster does not even recognise that there is a problem. In England, Parliament may be sovereign, but in Scotland it is the people. So what are we going to do about it? In Independence First’s case, we plan to do quite a lot, and we hope you, the reader of this article will help.

While Independence First has probably not yet impinged on public consciousness, we have quietly and carefully been doing something very important — uniting the entire independence movement. This, we hope, will be obvious on 30 September, the date of our first march for independence, through the heart of Edinburgh, to end outside our temporary parliament.
The Scottish Green Party officially supports the campaign and will be speaking at our rally on the 30 September, as will speakers from the SSP, Solidarity and the Scottish National Party. The Free Scotland Party, the Communist Party of Scotland, The Scottish Enterprise Party, The Celtic League, The Scottish Independence Party and the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement have also officially expressed support.

Furthermore, Tommy Sheridan MSP, the SSP’s Carolyn Leckie MSP, Colin Fox MSP and Alan McCombes, SNP MSPs Stewart Maxwell and Sandra Whyte, and independent MSP Campbell Martin (who is also speaking at our rally) have added their names to the campaign. The Scottish Independence Convention, whose meetings IF representatives attend is also officially backing our rally. In short, every Scottish independence-supporting party and pro-independence political organisation has backed our call for a democratic referendum on independence for the people of Scotland.

In the run-up to the march and rally of 30 September, Independence First will distribute 10,000 leaflets in Scotland’s major population centres and The Federation of Student Nationalists and Young Scots for Independence will also be notifying everyone on their text referendum supporters’ list.

We believe a strong turnout will provide the much-needed “boot-up-the-backside” the Scottish executive appears to require to take the independence debate seriously.

To attempt to show the enormous latent support for independence we have also launched an e-petition through the Scottish Parliament (posted by Neil Caple National Convenor, on behalf of Independence First). This calls for the Parliament to consider and debate what moves it could make to ensure the early presentation of a referendum on self-determination to the people of Scotland (http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=123).

In the expectation that none of these efforts will have any effect on the unionist-led executive, we will also attempt to influence the outcome of the next election. In the next few weeks, leading artists, writers and musicians will endorse a “one-million-pledges-for-independence” campaign.

This campaign will call for one million Scots to give their support, in both the first and second votes, to parties supporting independence. We believe this figure would be well within the reach of the pro-independence parties and enough to swing the election in favour of independence.

The campaign includes people from various walks of life — political activists of all shades as well as those who have no interest in traditional politics — united by the belief that without independence no substantial progress can be made in Scotland. We are determined not to be divided by the details of our political convictions but to concentrate our energies on turning up the pressure for a referendum on this issue.

Next year is the three-hundredth anniversary of the treaty of union, a perfect time to reconsider whether the British state suits our interests. We don’t think it does, and we believe that a democratic referendum will prove that the people of Scotland, as a whole, agree with us.

Joe Middleton is the Media Officer for Independence First.

New Poll shows Strong Support for Independence

The poll claims Alex Salmond would be a popular first minister

An opinion poll published on Sunday has claimed that independence is more popular in Scotland than the current devolution settlement. According to a Sunday Times YouGov survey, 44 per cent of respondents said they backed a separate Scotland compared with 42 per cent who did not.

SNP leader Alex Salmond was also voted a more popular choice for first minister than Jack McConnell. The poll took place between Tuesday and Thursday and involved 1,200 people. The SNP and Labour are currently neck and neck in terms of popular support in the polls.

"Scots seem to want a Scottish Parliament that is more powerful than it is, that
has better ability to do things differently from London.
John Curtis, Professor of politics at Strathclyde University

The poll, which was conducted at the height of the prime minister Tony Blair's difficulties this week, also showed the SNP on 29 per cent for the first-past-the-post vote and the same level of support for the second proportional representation vote.

Labour support was only one per cent ahead at 30 per cent with a 27 per cent share of the vote in the second PR vote. On this showing, the paper predicts that the Nationalists would take 38 of Holyrood's 129 seats, enough to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, Labour's current governing partners, and the Greens.

Labour would narrowly remain the biggest party with 42 seats, down from its current 50. The survey also revealed that a large majority, 64 per cent, of those questioned, favour more powers for the Scottish Parliament while only 19 per cent favour the status quo.

Despite first minister Mr McConnell's high profile crusade to tackle anti social behaviour, 58 per cent of Scots said they believed the problem had become worse since the last Holyrood election. Some 39 per cent say the NHS had become worse and 22 per cent believe standards in schools have also dropped.

John Curtis, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, warned that Labour should advocate more powers for the Scottish Parliament to avoid an electoral backlash. He told the paper: "Scots seem to want a Scottish Parliament that is more powerful than it is, that has better ability to do things differently from London.

"All of the other parties in Scotland are looking to go into the election wanting to change the devolution settlement and it seems to me that the Labour Party ought to be too."

Support Doubles for Scottish Independence

MORE Scots now favour living in an independent nation than remaining part of the United Kingdom, according to a poll that appears to show devolution has fuelled independence support in Scotland. A YouGov poll, commissioned by The Sunday Times, finds that 44% of Scots want independence, compared with 42% who favour continued rule from Westminster.

The poll shows support for independence has almost doubled since 2000, a year after the founding of the Scottish parliament. Devolution at that point seemed to have damped down nationalist feeling, with ICM finding only 23% of Scots favouring full independence.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish National party leader, has said he intends to hold a referendum on independence if he wins power. Next year is the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union. Tony Blair’s difficulties and voters’ discontent with policies such as the Iraq war are believed to have contributed to a drop in support for Labour in Scotland and fed through into increased backing for independence.

Some Labour MSPs want the prime minister to resign quickly because they believe his unpopularity is putting the future of the Union at risk. “A lot of us are worried, especially with what’s been going on in London, that the whole thing is going to blow apart if we become disunited and forget the bigger picture,” said one.

The YouGov findings also reflect a disenchantment among voters at the limitations of devolved government. While the parliament at Holyrood has the power to legislate in areas such as health, education and transport, it has limited financial powers and is dependent on a block transfer from the Treasury for most of its budget.

In Scottish elections, the electorate are allowed to vote twice, first for a group of MSPs elected in a Westminster-style first-past-the-post system and second for a group elected by proportional representation. Scottish voters have proved immune to the “Cameron effect” despite the Tory revival in England.

The Conservatives are backed by just 14% of voters, below the Liberal Democrats.

ANTI INDEPENDENCE CRACKS START IN SOLIDARITY

From the CWI site http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2006/453/index.html?id=pp2.htm proving leopards don't change their spots.

"One of the fundamental reasons for the crisis and now disintegration of the SSP was the leadership's turn away from consistent socialist and working-class policies. As well as their conduct over Tommy Sheridan's resignation and subsequent court action against the NoW, this was also seen by the SSP leadership's turn to left nationalism."

(ie supporting a broadf movement towards independence something completely supported by Sheridan during his time as party leader.)

"The SSP leadership promoted support for Scottish independence on a capitalist basis."

(This is bizarre! But possibly typical, the fringe Brits have never hidden their hatred for the SNP despite the fact that it is a social democratic party and far to the left of Labour.)

"If the Scottish people were in favour of independence socialists would support that as a democratic right, but we would also consistently explain the need to fight to end capitalism, which is the only way out of poverty, low pay and inequality in Scotland. "

(Note, 'if the Scottish people were' the CWI obviously sees no interest in convincing the public of independence.)

"It was the International Socialists who opposed this move away from the SSP's founding policy which was for an independent socialist Scotland." (what move away?)

"This false idea, that independence on its own would offer a route out of continued attacks on working-class people's rights and living standards"

(it's not a false idea, it's a recognition that the people of Scotland should decide their own government and are more likely to vote for socialism than the rest of the UK)

"- which is the norm under capitalism - led the SSP to propose the launch of the cross-party Independence Convention with the pro-capitalist SNP. "

(a positive step forward and an important one towards a mass movement for independence)

It may also lead to the SSP advocating a vote for the SNP at next year's Scottish elections in the seats the SSP does not contest

(an important step in actually winning an election for independence)

It is vital that while fighting for the democratic rights of the Scottish people this new movement for socialism maintains its complete political independence from the pro-market establishment and fights to build a mass working-class party on clear socialist principles.

(ie don't support the SNP or any initiatives towards independence)

They then go on to an irrelevant rant about the SWP. The truth is both the SWP and CWI undermined the SSP from the start. They are died in the wool Brits. It's possible Sheridan's new party will get enough members to swamp these groups but it is obvious that they are still opposing any united Scottish moves towards independence.

INDEPENDENCE FIRST LAUNCHES E-PETITION THROUGH SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Independence First, the Referendum campaign have launched a petition for a referendum on independence through the Scottish Parliament's E-petitioning system.

The petition reads as follows:

Petition by Neil Caple (National Convenor), on behalf of Independence First,
calling for the Scottish Parliament to consider and debate what moves it could
make to ensure the early presentation of a referendum on self determination to
the people of Scotland.

Mr Caple commented: "Recent opinion polls have indicated that there is a growing wish amongst the people who live in Scotland for Scotland to take control of her destiny and become Independent."

"Independence First, which is a non-party political organisation, would like to hear your views and we would like you to sign our petition in support of holding a referendum on independence as soon as possible."

The petition is available at the Scottish Parliament web site here
http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=123

Mr Caple added: "Please sign this petition and pass this address on."

The will of the people should prevail

Your letters
August 31 2006 (Herald)

Ian Bell is the best columnist currently working in the Scottish press. Yet I want to register my disagreement with the main thrust of his polemic on August 29. If the Scots in next year's Scottish parliamentary elections return a majority of MSPs committed to the concept of a self-governing Scotland then the will of the people should prevail.

The new Scottish government could use the poll results as empowering it to proceed to secede from the United Kingdom and the complex negotiations that would entail. Or it could give the electorate another bite at the cherry with an independence referendum. If a majority voted for independence in the Scottish parliamentary election why should they vote against it in a referendum some months later?

I can't see how, given the nature of the electoral system that now applies in Scotland, any one party could have an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament. A majority vote for a referendum would then require the supportive votes of MSPs from other parties. The Greens are committed to an independent Scotland. The Scottish Socialist Party is similarly committed, though God knows where it will be next year due to its schismatic tendencies. And the Labour Party MSPs could be anywhere.

If it loses power some of its MSPs might vote in line with the people's will as expressed through the election and/or in a referendum. As for the LibDems? Who the hell knows? Given even a sniff of power they can perform the most extravagant somersaults.

Will this happen? I don't know. Nobody knows. But from my earliest teens and as a young socialist I have always fought for the right of self-determination for all nations. The United Nations is predicated on this principle. The rights of small nations are always particularly vulnerable lest they be swamped, in various ways, by the sheer numbers and political cultures of a much bigger neighbour. The Polish people know this to their great sorrow. The Labour left has always supported this principle except, it seems, when it came to the small nations within these isles. The Scottish people never had a say about joining the UK. They have never had a say about whether they want to leave the UK. That can't be right.

Jimmy Reid, 5 Bishop Terrace, Rothesay, Isle of Bute.

Ian Bell is mistaken if he thinks an early referendum on independence will be lost. What evidence does he base this assumption on? Independence First, the non-party political campaign for a referendum on independence for Scotland, has collected every opinion poll we can find on an independence referendum. The results are published at www.independence1st.com/polls.shtml and they show that in almost every poll since the devolution referendum where a simple unambiguous question has been asked the majority has supported independence. Almost 80% of the population favour holding a referendum on independence. Why do the unionist establishment not hold a referendum if they're so sure they would win? The fact they never have held a referendum speaks volumes.

I invite anyone who would like the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum on independence to support Independence First's petition which has been presented to the Public Petitions Committee and can be seen at http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?petitionID=123

Neil Caple, Honorary Convener, Independence First, 14 Mill Place, Tarland, Aboyne.

THE hostile, negative tone of Ian Bell's discussion of the SNP's prospects of success next year was not surprising. But it did contain one accurate forecast. In the event of an independence referendum in Scotland the British state will certainly "use every means to influence the choice". Lies will be told, fears exacerbated, pro-Union propaganda will flood the broadcast media and the newspapers, all of which without exception are unionist, and Gordon Brown will come up with some blatant bribery to convince us all of our pathetic dependence on the English taxpayer. There will be many dirty tricks played and this respect the British establishment will be aided and abetted by the CIA. It will not be in the interests of the US for their most servile ally to be weakened by the secession of Scotland from the UK.It would be astonishing in the face of this onslaught if the people of Scotland had the courage and intelligence to vote for independence. I look forward to being astonished.

Iain Hall, 1 Georgina Place, Scone.

SSP MUST RE-FOCUS THEIR ENERGIES ONTO INDEPENDENCE

I have followed the Tommy Sheridan trial with interest and I warmly congratulate him on his victory against the lowest and sleaziest 'newspaper' in Britain.

It is instructive that Douglas Wight has recently been promoted to a features desk in London after his 'useful' stories about Sheridan. I understand he has also been given time off his work recently to write a book. A substantial series of bonuses, but then again Mr Sheridan is a substantial target.

Tommy Sheridan was one of the first people to help organise the Scottish Independence Convention. He was one of the first supporters of Independence First, the referendum campaign. There is no doubt whatsoever that he is a strong and passionate advocate for the Scottish independence cause.

The News of the World offered no proof for it's story, it merely tried to throw so much muck that they hoped that maybe some of it would stick. A jury has provided this rag with it's answer and hopefully it won't be as cavalier with the facts next time someone approaches them with an 'exclusive story' and their hand out for £20,000.

Some of Sheridan's accusers are also strong advocates for independence, and some of his backers, specifically the CWI and SWP are not. Nonetheless I understand that Mr Sheridan has had to take support where he can find it during a very difficult time.

Independence is the lynch pin around which Scottish politics currently revolves. The SSP is a pro-independence party but since Sheridan's term as leader has ended, they have been less active on this question than they should be.

It's important that whoever the SSP elect as their leader in October that they make sure independence remains firmly at the top of their political priorities.

Sheridan and McCombes excellent book 'Imagine' showed that the SSP had a genuine vision which set it apart from the rest, a realistic democratic vision of socialism which is a world removed from the revolutionary hogwash perpretated by some of the more deluded groups on the traditional 'Brit' left.

As a republican socialist I call on Alan McCombes and Tommy Sheridan in particular and the rest of the SSP to put aside their differences and work together to push independence at the next elections.

The SNP can't win independence on it's own, however with the help of the Greens and a resurgent SSP the Scottish parties might yet get a combined one million votes for independence, enough to defeat Labour and the Tories and enough to push through a democratic vote for freedom for Scotland.

Scotland needs a win for independence next year.

Tommy and Alan and the rest, please don't let the people down by squabbling amongst yourselves over irrelevant rubbish about 'he said, she said'. It's all nonsense based on a right wing paper's lies.

The Scottish Socialist Party needs to move on and grow up before it's too late.

English voters 'oppose Scots PM'

A majority of English voters think Scottish MPs should be barred from becoming the UK's prime minister, according to a BBC survey. ICM research spoke to 1,000 people for the poll for the BBC's Politics Show.

They were asked whether it was right for a Scottish MP to be prime minister now Scotland has its own parliament. While 45% of those questioned across the UK thought it was okay to have a Scottish PM, 52% were opposed. That figure rose to 55% in England alone.

However, just 20% of those polled in Scotland were opposed to an MP from north of the border becoming prime minister.

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said the findings were "bad news" for Labour.
"It means the current prime minister is deeply unpopular in Scotland while the future prime minister is unacceptable in England," he said. "It shows Gordon Brown's new-found Britishness cuts no ice north or south of the border."

However, a Labour spokesman insisted: "The people of Britain will pick the next prime minister based on his ability to deliver a strong and stable economy and a secure future."

ROCK ON TOMMY! SHERIDAN TRIUMPHANT OVER NEWS OF THE SCREWS

Tommy Sheridan has won his libel case against the News of the World.

BRILLIANT! The News of the World is the scummiest of all rags and this is a fantastic victory by a man who has devoted his whole political life to helping the working class of Scotland.

The question now of course is where now for the Scottish Socialist Party? Since Colin Fox was elected leader the party has diluted its interest in independence, his attack on the saltire was an indication that he had never lost his attachment to his Brit left roots.

People have been going around suggesting that Sheridan is about to sell out the cause of Scotland and join Respect, while I could imagine Fox going down that road I have no doubt that Sheridan would tell Gorgeous George where to stick his one man band - which has as about as much political relevance as Robert Kilroy Silk's Veritas.

There is little doubt in my mind that Sheridan will thrash Fox. What he needs to do afterwards is re-concentrate the SSP's energies on winning independence by working together with the Greens and SSP. It was Sheridan's desire to do this which led to his original break with English Militant, unfortunately some of his comrades who apparently joined him at the time didn't share his desire to break up the British state.

He should now rid his party of the rest of Militant, the CWI, SWP, RCN and all the other fringe t*ssers who don't give a damn about Scottish independence and re-orientate his party firmly back to pushing Scottish independence from the left.

This putrid trial will hopefully not have damaged Sheridan's credibility as a standard bearer for the Scottish left, however it will damage his so called comrades who stabbed him in the back by participating with the News of the World in this hatchet job.

It beggars belief that Sheridan would admit to these allegations and at the same time expect to be backed in his fight. That a handy minute of these meeting would be kept for the NOTW is also bizarre, almost as bizarre as his comrades discovering respect for the legal process just in time to knive their former national convener!

Obviously some were willing to see their former leader fall so long as it furthered their own careers, if their careers now founder on the rocks they have only themselves to blame. Sheridan built his party from the ground up. He put his neck on the line for ordinary Scottish people time after time after time. He should have got a hell of a lot more loyalty from his former comrades than he did get.

Obviously they preferred to take the word of a scummy rag over that of their former leader. If their short lived careers are now flushed down the political toilet then they have only themselves to blame.

Rumours are not facts. I always treat people based on my own experience of them not what someone else says about them. Sheridan like every other person had an absolute right to be 'innocent until proven guilty'. The news of the World providing nothing but rumours and innuendo and no solid facts whatsoever.

Tommy has now been proven innocent and deservedly so. Well done!

I said in this blog a few weeks ago that I hoped Sheridan would kick the NOTW's collective a*se and it is great to be proved right.

WELSH AND SCOTS ARE GOING TO BREAK UP BRITAIN NEXT YEAR

The following letter has been sent to all papers published in Scotland. JOE

Joseph Peter Middleton
Edinburgh

31/07/2006

Dear Editor,

England has treated Wales with contempt for far too long. Not only are the British Government still refusing Wales a Scottish level of devolutionary powers but suddenly Wales requires a further 'are you sure' referendum if such a decision is made in the future!

The new Welsh 'adjusted devolution' bill offers slightly more powers but with a very disturbing caveat, Labour have fixed the PR system for Wales to improve their own chances!

Suddenly no candidate will be allowed to stand in both the list and FPTP elements, thereby avoiding a fair fight between Labour and Plaid Cymru. Expect this for Scotland next school term unless we take urgent action.

The very idea that somehow Wales deserves less powers than Scotland is completely absurd. Like Scotland, Wales is a nation and she has the same rights under international law to independence that Scotland has.

Thankfully it now looks like Wales is going to deliver her own answer to the devolution question! A poll a few days ago by a Welsh Sunday paper shows an absolute majority for independence of 52%! This follows a whole series of polls showing similar results in Scotland.

As the British imperialist state looks like drawing to a close, it is now perhaps appropriate to consider what it actually was.

The British Empire could be easily likened to a Vampire. It has survived by literally sucking the lifes blood and resources of other countries who it 'colonised' or more accurately 'controlled' through it's past military might. Luckily most have seem through it's disguises and have forcably (and democratically) rejected it's advances.

In reality the Empire is stone dead however it survives as an invisible phantom in the imagination of our Prime Minister King Tony the first and his royal courtiers whose powers he upsurps to award his wee rich cronies with blood stained 'honours' and membership to an absurd fraternity of British imperial fantasists. Who really wants to me a member of a non-existant empire?

Perhaps the sobriquet 'Sir' should stand for Still Insane Really!

England as a country has sucked billions of oil from Scotland while claiming, in Orwellian fashion, that Scotland is actually bleeding it dry. This lie is repeated so often that even the English themselves now appear to believe it along with the more gullible of our fellow Scots.

In truth Wales and Scotland are rich nations with a valuable and distinctive contribution to make to the world as free and independent sovereign states. No matter how many drug filled crumbs are thrown in our direction and no matter how many lies are told, we have the absolute right to rule ourselves.

Britain will find that out next year. A stake will be driven through it's heart and England will emerge to equality with it's brother nations and the reality of the normality that all deserve but none need to surpass.

Blair and Cameron offer a future hanging onto America's new bloody imperial coat tails, that is no realistic future for anyone and we need to end their control over Scotland to stop it. There is one sure way to stop English Conservatism and pseudo Conservatism and that way is independence.

Both Scotland and Wales are wakening up to that easy option no matter how much our respective 'national' papers avoid it.

Yours faithfully,

JOE MIDDLETON

SCOTLAND MUST DISTANCE ITSELF FROM THE UK

THE current international crisis is unavoidable when there are at least two countries in the United Nations who consistently ignore international law. Israel seems to imagine it can bomb civilians, journalists and even official UN representatives with impunity.

This arrogance can be traced back as the large end of the wedge to its decision to assassinate suspected terrorists without any attempt to bring them to trial. This has now been extended to anyone and everyone who lives outside their borders.

Britain's silence on this issue and many others, and the Bush administration's torture of suspects in Cuba without regard to the Geneva Convention are actions which have embarrassed the whole international community and made absurd the idea of international human rights.

If certain countries can completely ignore international law then what is the point of the United Nations? If Britain backs every move by the US and Israel, no matter what its legality, then what is the point of Scotland being represented by Britain?

In Scotland most people would not agree with the US interfering in the Middle East. We would not agree with a carte blanche approach to Israel, and most people would want an immediate end to these unnecessary and illegal hostilities.

Unfortunately, it is quite obvious that Scotland's distinctive international voice will never be heard as long as it is tied up with the US's client state in Europe, the UK and the supine figures of Tony Blair, or his doppelganger David Cameron.

It's time for independence and it's time for our own voice to be heard on the international stage.

Joe Middleton, Wardieburn Place South, Edinburgh

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1101322006

SAVE THE WORLD - BY GETTING MURDOCH SAYS SCOTS AUTHOR

R. Eric Swanepoel the author of 'Saving the World and Being Happy' has told a meeting of Scottish independence activists that the newspaper proprietor Rupert Murdoch is a 'massive threat' to democracy throughout the world.

Mr Swanepoel addressed an Edinburgh branch meeting of Independence First, the referendum campaign www.independence1st.com and called for an immediate boycott of the Scottish Sun newspaper.

He said "the press in Britain is largely owned by a right-wing asylum-seeker-bashing, hypocritical, foreign-based, war-mongering, tax-dodging, non-UK citizen."

He added "the government eagerly barks and wags its tail at the behest of a fundamentalist war-mongering bigot, whose only interests are those of the world's super-rich."

"It's time to hit him where it hurts, in his pocket, by putting the Sun in the bucket where it belongs! The Suns adverts like to pretend that 'we love it' but I hate it and I'm not alone. Join this boycott and help bring freedom back to the world's press."

Learn more about the campaign here: http://hometown.aol.co.uk/rericswan/essay.html

52% BACK INDEPENDENCE FOR WALES

WELSH voters are pleased with the new powers handed to the National Assembly - but more than half want it to be a stepping stone to independence, a poll by a Welsh Newspaper has revealed.

Seven years after the establishment of the Assembly, 70 per cent of Welsh people say they are happy with the new law-making powers signed off last week.

But 52 per cent of those polled think it is time to break from the Union - suggesting the new powers are viewed as a stop-gap with full independence the real goal. In the poll, a quarter were unhappy with the Government of Wales Act with five per cent unsure. Forty-six per cent were against Welsh independence and two per cent said they did not know.

The Act, passed last week after opposition Lords backed down, gives the Assembly the power to draw up its own laws for the first time - provided Westminster agrees first. A Scottish-style Parliament could be created after a referendum, which will happen if two-thirds of AMs and a majority of MPs want one.

After having the powers explained to them, a large majority of those polled say it was the right move. But more than half still said they wanted independence altogether.

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "It is much higher than any figure we've had in the past. It does show a more general trend towards people becoming more confident about themselves. Whether people actually support everything that independence stands for I don't know, but I do think people are more prepared to consider making decisions for themselves. What is fairly obvious is there is much greater support for moving the Assembly forward.
"If you ask people whether they are happy with the performance of the Assembly Government they'd say no, but they also don't want to go back to the days of pre-devolution. It's, 'Let's make it work, let's make it stronger.'"

Joe Middleton, creator of the Scottish Independence Guide www.scottishindependence.com commented "This is fantastic news. It's time for both Wales and Scotland to leave the union and pursue their own destiny as free and independent nations."

A total of 420 respondents were interviewed on the telephone on behalf of Wales on Sunday.

THE TRUE STORY: WHY SHERIDAN FELL OUT WITH ENGLISH MILITANTS

Note that 'the (English) Socialist party' has been currently supposedly 'supporting' Sheridan but the evidence is here that they fell out a long time ago and over the specific question of organising effectively in Scotland.

Here's a press release from the CWI (16/01/2001) which I found on the google newsgroups service:

Committee for a Workers 'International
Phone 0208 988 8760 Scotland 01382 833759

Tommy Sheridan breaks from CWI -the socialist international

The CWI is the international organisation whose affiliates include the Socialist Party, successor to Militant in Britain. We have MPs and councillors in England, Ireland North and South, Sweden and Kazakhstan among others. The Committee for a Workers ' International organises in over 30 countries across the world. We are a Marxist international that is fighting to build the ideas of socialism in every corner of the globe. We stand for the establishment of a mass workers international party that can play a leading role in the struggle against capitalism and imperialism.

After a long period of debate exposed growing differences, Tommy Sheridan and other leading members of the Scottish Socialist Party have left their international organisation, the Committee for a Workers 'International (CWI).

These differences included: - The nature of the Scottish Socialist Party and the need for a Marxist organisation within it. - The character of Cuba, where Tommy Sheridan has defended a neo-Stalinist position. - The need to retain an internationalist view of the struggle for socialism. - Democratic rights in the Scottish Socialist Party.

Scottish Militant Labour (SML) was the Scottish section of the CWI. We were the main component of the Scottish Socialist Party when it was established in 1998. Tommy Sheridan, alongside many other members of SML, and Militant in England and Wales, played a key role in the defeat of the Poll Tax and the subsequent removal of Margaret Thatcher from power.

During the 1990s we have consistently stood for the building of new mass parties to represent working class people after the betrayals of the former "Labour" and "Communist" parties. The SSP can represent an important step in that process.

One of the key principles that SML and the CWI were based on was the need to maintain and strengthen the forces of Marxism, in its modern expression, Trotskyism. (In other words, entryism, saying one thing while doing another - JOE) It is this task that Tommy Sheridan and the others who have left the CWI have rejected. They have produced a statement which commented about the CWI: "The model (of building a Trotskyist international) they tried to apply is obsolete, if indeed it was ever a credible project". The rejection of this concept has led to leading members of the SSP, who were longstanding members of the CWI, to break from long held positions that we have defended.

Cuba

On Cuba, the CWI has been critical that the SSP and Tommy Sheridan have described Cuba as a socialist country, which we do not accept. We believe this is putting forward a neo-Stalinist position. We defend the tremendous gains of the Cuban revolution in health care, literacy and education but given the lack of democracy within Cuba, this does not equate with socialism, where democracy and working class involvement in the running of society and the economy is essential.

(on this point I agree! JOE)

Internationalism

The CWI is opposed to what we see is a tendency by our former members to seek a national view of how socialism could be achieved rather than an international view. This has led, we believe, to our former members not arguing for a socialist confederation or alliance between an independent socialist Scotland and a socialist England, Wales and Ireland. The CWI believes it is vital that socialists in Scotland make it clear that we would seek to link up on a voluntary basis with a socialist England, which can help to cut across anti-English moods as they develop in Scotland.

(In other words an orientation to 'all British' campaigning must be maintained - JOE)

SNP

We were extremely worried to read Tommy Sheridan's comments in The Observer (13th August 2000) when he hinted that SSP MSPs would be prepared to back an SNP administration in the Scottish Parliament. We believe it would be impermissible for socialists to either formally enter an SNP-led coalition, or back it from the outside, given the pro-capitalist and nationalist policies of the SNP.

(Here's the rub then, Tommy planned to link up with his fellow Scottish independence supporters! There is in reality no other option if the SSP are serious about independence. JOE)

Democracy in the SSP

We were shocked and dismayed that our, now former, members in the leadership of the SSP have proposed "guidelines" for that party which would preclude the right of organised trends within the SSP to produce public material, sell public journals, etc. These guidelines argue that organised platforms should "not act as a party within a party". This is exactly the language that our opponents used to justify our expulsion from the Labour Party in the past. Ironically, it is our now ex-members who are proposing these guidelines, when they themselves were expelled and disciplined as members of the Militant, for defending our right to promote our ideas both inside and outside the Labour Party.

(This has been a significant problem for the SSP for some time, if Sheridan was planning this then it would have improved the credibility of the party. JOE)

Founding members of Scottish Militant Labour such as Ronnie Stevenson (Glasgow) and Philip Stott (Dundee), as well as a number of members who are key activists in the EIS, UNISON and the RMT in Scotland will remain as members and supporters of the CWI.

The general election parliamentary candidates for the SSP in Dundee East (Harvey Duke), Dundee West (Jim McFarlane), Kirkcaldy (Kenny McLeod), as well as others to be announced, will remain members of the CWI. Joe Higgins, Socialist Party of Ireland TD in the Irish Parliament, and Dave Nellist, former Labour MP and now socialist councillor in Coventry, both CWI members, are implacably opposed to the course of action that Tommy and the other SSP leaders have taken.

Peter Taaffe, founding member of the CWI, said: "We regret Tommy Sheridan's and other long standing members 'departure from the CWI. Nevertheless, we still have many members in Scotland who have a long track record of building socialist ideas who have remained loyal to the CWI and their own traditions."

Philip Stott, spokesperson for the CWI in Scotland, said: "The CWI in Scotland will be active participants in the work to build the Scottish Socialist Party into what we hope will be a mass force in Scotland. At the same time we will fight to ensure that the party is led with a clearly socialist and internationalist programme and leadership. We believe that the CWI, its ideas, analysis and campaigning record internationally will play a decisive role in that task."

FOX'S UNDEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION WON'T WASH WITH THE PUBLIC

While I think most members of the Scottish Socialist Party (and more importantly most of their voters) are genuine in their support for independence there remains a substantial minority who do not. Why has Lloyd Quinan never been properly utilised by the SSP? Why were deliberate obstacles put in the way of independent MSP Campbell Martin joining the party?

I think the SSP is still ran by Militants who don't trust anyone from a traditional nationalist background, this has hindered the SSP's expansion and recruitment. Colin Fox as leader may well have come round to the idea of supporting independence as a tactic however he seems to lack respect for the cultural side of the pro-independence argument.

Without a clear understanding and respect for the history and unique cultural identity of Scotland, which Sheridan had or had at least acquired the pro-independence argument lacks bite.Without some passion for the cause it won't happen.

The union flag debate exposed Brown as a careerist par excellence and for Fox to let him off the hook and attack our own flag showed a total lack of political common sense. Fox seems to believe in some kind of revolutionary socialism where everyone wakes up one day to a red flag flying and a world wide revolution! This is politically absurd and does not represent the view of either McCombes or Sheridan and their excellent visionary book 'Imagine'.

For most people a red dawn would represent their worst nightmare and the establishment of totalitarianism. In fact socialism needs to be acheived gradually from the ground up and through a consistent rejection of false right wing arguments.

He is quoted in Gregor Gall's book: Revolutionary Witticisms of Colin Fox, Rosie Kane and Carolyn Leckie MSPs as saying "I've found the parliamentary route to socialism, it's right next to the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."

This joke isn't particularly funny. If Fox says there is no parliamentary route to socialism then he does not believe in democracy and does not believe the SSP is capable of convincing the people of Scotland of the benefits of democratic socialism.

Sheridan does, and that's the difference. I think the British establishment with the help of particular ambitious journalists and certain key British orientated figures in the SSP (possibly by playing on their known prejudices, after all while the allegations of sexual impropriety probably hold little interest to most ordinary people they are guaranteed to irritate ardent feminists in the SSP) have set out to get Sheridan and to eliminate him as a political threat to the status quo.

BRITS ARE UNDERMINING THE SSP

It may sound paranoid but it is a fact that parties like the SSP are easily penetrable by the security services. The British state opposes our independence and would try any underhand trick to undermine both the SNP and SSP if it had the chance.

The NOTW, Daily Mail, Daily Record, Scotsman et all hate Sheridan because he offers a genuine alternative to full on right of centre capitalism. Most of the key figures in the SSP follow a direct career curve through British Labour to Militant to Scottish Militant Labour through the Scottish Socialist Alliance to the SSP. Not all will have followed Sheridan's genuine conversion to independence. Many remain at heart Brits, as is obvious at the SSP's yearly Socialism events, some can hardly even bring themselves to say the word Scotland!

Militant was a Trotskyite organisation and ex Militants have formed numerous factions within the SSP, most of which oppose a key plank of the SSP's appeal - Scottish independence.
I'm sure there is a minority in the SSP who would like to turn their back on independence altogether and re-join a unionist socialist party (such an organisation exists already even though it's tiny).

Since there would be no logic to this (there's no hope of a break through for the left in England with FPTP) and since it would weaken the chances of breaking up the British state the only logical conclusion is that a lot of these people in fact work in the interests of the British state either knowingly for money or unknowingly through a misplaced abiding loyalty to the British union.

The idea of having various platforms was supposed to reflect a new democracy within the SSP however in fact it has meant that the party has been divided from the start and without Sheridan it has losts it's sincerity on the Scottish independence question.

Fox attacked the Saltire shortly after being elected, he denies it now but he still did it. His sense of Scottishness and passion for the freedom of Scotland is certainly not as profound as Sheridan's and that is where the political problem lies.

SHERIDAN TRIAL SHOWS HIDDEN HAND OF SECURITY SERVICES

Tommy Sheridan - Scot

Anyone who works for the cause of Scottish independence is a source of concern for the British Government. It is sad but true that since as far back as the 19th century (and probably long before) paid informants have infiltrated political pro-democracy groups in Scotland and fed back to their London masters.

Hector MacMillan's book about Thomas Muir provides copious evidence of police infiltration prior to the abortive 1820 rising. In retrospect we can see that the campaigners were looking for normal political rights such as paid MP's, the right to vote and freedom of expression but the state at the time did not agree.

The British state still has a large budget for such unsavoury characters and they are almost undetectable so long as they pretend to do their job. Recent events in Ireland bear this fact out.

The Tommy Sheridan trial, in fact an excuse for the London controlled media to gorge themselves on his supposed hypocrisy (one misnamed paper has over thirty seperate stories on their website relating to the case) shows all the hall marks of being orchestrated by MI5.

Damaging allegations are spun as fact by the mass circulation free paper the Metro which is wholly owned by the Daily Mail one of the most right wing of all right wing papers. (The Metro is pure concentrated garbage and it's letters column puts Viz's joke 'letterbocks' letters to shame for their banality and absurdity.

A series of frankly ridiculous allegations have been rolled out through all the British media in a concerted and obvious campaign of character assassination. Every day the Daily Record has a new sordid headline, every day another unreliablke witness says "the News of the World paid me money to say this but oh yes, it's still true yer honour!"

If we look at the SSP then we can see that most of its original members came from the old London based Militant tendency. Later they became Scottish Militant Labour and later they metamorphosised into the SSP, though most of the personnel conveniently remained the same.

Shortly after formation the SSP took into its ranks the Socialist Workers Party, another London based outfit that supports self determination for every country except Scotland.

Militant was a traditional Brit-left party, the SWP are a Brit left party. All are subject to extensive infiltration by the security services as indeed are most political parties (though they don't like to admit it as it makes them look paranoid).

The SSP however was different - it supported independence for Scotland (under Sheridan's leadership anyway) and cut substantially into the SNP vote at the last election.

Despite the SSP's willingness to risk jail for any cause, when it comes to the man who was their former leader, the man who was largely responsible for increasing their vote and the man who has led the majority of their campaigns a hereto unknown sudden respect for law and order appears!

Suddenly we have a mysteriously long list of party members willing to testify for the News of the World, the scummiest of all scummy tabloids in its effort to defame Tommy Sheridan even further because he decided to take them to court for an erroneous article.

It is claimed that Sheridan spontaneously admitted to a series of allegations while at the same time saying he was going to take the NOTW to court! Just to keep things tidy this confession was kept aside by his own party to be produced specially for the paper!

That the SSP would keep such a minute at all is bizarre when it was well aware of their former leader's proposed court action and must have known that such a minute would compromise his case.

Any sensible professional political party would have kept schtum over the whole affair, said we support our leader and wished him well in court. After all given their financial problems they could no doubt have used the extra cash Sheridan's trial might have provided.

The only possible conclusion is that the SSP has either been voluntarily compromised from within by people who are willing to sing for their supper if it preserves their career at the expense of their former comrade, which is bad enough OR this is part of a campaign by the security services to smear our most left wing politician because of his continued support for independence.

It is highly instructive that Mr Sheridan's replacement is so dumb that he is willing to attack the Scottish flag. Clearly he has no interest in Scottish independence, which suits the British state just fine. He even flew back from his holiday just to put his ex-friend in the sh*t, "I would have supported Tommy's even if I thought he was telling lies" he says, and "oh yes, I voted against the option of supporting Tommy." (Eh?!)

Either the SSP is infested by complete idiots or has a few Government spies in key positions who chose to knive their leader when they saw an opportunity and leave the party in a 'safer' pair of hands. That this safe pair of hands probably doesn't even realise this is no indication that it hasn't happened!

It is rumoured that Sheridan is being prepared to join the mis-named 'Respect'. Respect for the existing state apparatus that is! In reality Galloway's only consistent quality is his rejection of normal powers for his own country, no doubt that explains his miraculous political survival skills, he's no threat to the British state.

Sheridan is and is therefore an extremely important element in Scottish politics.

I hope he kicks the News of the World's collective a*se.

Defiant Blair says: I'm staying put and police inquiry will clear me of any corruption

Key quote "It is absurd to say that if someone supports a political party financially... that they should be debarred from being party supporters for those places reserved specifically for party supporters."

- TONY BLAIR

[A pity that's not what the law says Tony! JOE]

A DEFIANT Tony Blair yesterday predicted that he will be cleared by a police investigation into Labour's finances and signalled he wants to stay on as Prime Minister for at least another year.
Mr Blair's robust defence of the £14 million the Labour Party raised in secret loans last year follows the arrest last week of his chief fundraiser, Lord Levy. Downing Street nominated four of the lenders for seats in the House of Lords.

Scotland Yard detectives have signalled they plan to interview the Prime Minister and some Labour MPs believe the funding scandal could force him from office within months. Roy Hattersley, the former Labour deputy leader, yesterday said Mr Blair should quit by October over the affair.

[Good riddance! This is a man who has achieved nothing in Government and has sold his soul to the political right. His partner in crime Gordon Broon is just as bad. Time to escape this gang of incompetent sleazy unprincipled thieves by voting for independence. JOE]

EDINBURGH INDEPENDENCE FIRST LAUNCH DRAWS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

The launch of a new branch in Edinburgh by Independence First, the referendum campaign, has been strongly welcomed by pro-independence movements across Europe. The independence referendum campaign received messages of support from parties in Catalonia, Sardinia and Corsica and the largest trade union in the Basque Country. Around two dozen political activists in the Wash bar heard that Scotland can make a massive impact internationally by breaking up the British state and becoming “a beacon for peace” in the wider world.











Former MSP Lloyd Quinan told the meeting that “Scotland has the potential to become independent next year. This is absolutely necessary to give the Scots the democratic space to decide their own destiny because without that space it doesn’t matter what we believe in because it won’t happen. We can potentially be a democratic inspiration to other independence movements but only if we work together for independence and support this campaign for a democratic referendum.”










Bill Scott of the Scottish Socialist Party remembered the disappointment of being cheated out of devolution in 1979 “It was a terrible time, but over the next twenty years we gained a parliament and we have it in our power to move that parliament to independence.” He added “Scots have died in numerous imperial wars at a far higher rate than our percentage of the population of the UK, it’s time for this to end.”

Eric Canning of the Communist Party of Scotland was the vice Convener of the Constitutional (devolution) Convention “It was the only campaign that I was involved in which was wound up because it was a success. I’m proud of that, but the fight isn’t over. Scotland needs independence, with that independence we can become a beacon for peace and tolerance in the world and we can break up the anglo-American imperialist alliance which potentially threatens the world with nuclear destruction.”









Bill Wilson of the Scottish National Party said “Scotland’s democratic voice has never been properly heard. 300 years ago the supposed representatives of the people fled out of the back door of our parliament after signing away our rights. We’ve never been given a choice about being part of Britain and we’re not getting any benefits from it. We are no better or worse than any other country and we have the same rights of self determination. It’s time to use those rights and free our nation.”

Author and publisher Kevin Williamson who chaired and spoke at the meeting commented “We are now seeing the potential of Independence First - to unite the Scottish Independence movement. Independence First is simply about support for Independence and nothing else. There was a real unity of purpose today however that the British state must end and Scotland must be allowed a distinct international voice.”

Joe Middleton Press Officer of Independence First commented: “This was a great meeting. Independence First wants this new branch to be at the heart of our campaigning. We have plans for a massive democracy march through Edinburgh on the 30th September and for a pledge independence campaign to affect the next Scottish elections.”

Tensions continue in UK

If English resentment is bad under Blair it will be worse with Brown as Prime Minister.

http://www.sundayherald.com/56428

So while Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell says he’s supporting any team not wearing three lions on their shirts, England’s MPs, past and present, are returning to the undercurrent of the Resentment in all its forms. Lord Barnett, Jim Callaghan’s Treasury minister, says the simplistic “Barnett Formula” wasn’t a long-term formula and that the over-subsidy of the Scots should stop to the tune of billions each year. London’s mayor, Ken Livingstone, says he too is fed up with the rich capital exporting its wealth north of the border.

But who is going to challenge this belief? Even though Brown is said to be privately sympathetic to the notion that it is London, not Scotland, which is over-subsidised, he will not risk a debate where he could be forced to take sides.

Having asked the first West Lothian Question, Tam Dalyell recently told the Sunday Herald, that even if Brown made it to Number 10, he would be the last Scot to do so. That would mean a decisive victory for this generation of English MPs, and an effective “cleansing” (however emotive that word is) of the Scots from power at Westminster.