Jim McVicar was a lifelong, dedicated socialist who grew up in Glasgow’s East End, went on to represent local communities as their socialist councillor, and was an active part of the rich socialist traditions of Scotland’s working class. He died tragically early, in December 2020, leaving a huge emptiness not just for his beloved family and the SSP (of which he was national treasurer for many years) but also the wider trade union and socialist movement.
The SSP was proud to host the inaugural Jim McVicar Memorial Lecture on the theme of Socialism Returns in the 21st Century, as the first in a planned annual series. The lecture was delivered by Richie Venton, a close friend of Jim’s, and himself a victimised trade unionist, lifelong socialist, and SSP national workplace organiser.
We have decided to publish the lecture in this 28-page, attractively designed pamphlet – as a lasting memento for those who knew Jim, but also as an important contribution to discussions on the tasks and opportunities facing workers and socialists in the 21st century.
The lecture graphically recounts the roots of capitalist power; what fighters for justice today can learn from the role of the Scottish working class and socialists within its ranks in many past struggles; and takes head-on questions like “does the working class even exist today?” and “what are the possibilities of socialism growing in the 21st century?”. It covers an array of fundamental issues we face – locally and internationally- in combating the capitalist ‘lords of the universe’.
This is a fruitful read for workers, trade union activists, climate campaigners, young people just entering the socialist movement and veterans of struggle, alike. It helps provide many hard-hitting arguments against capitalism and for a socialist vision, rooted in modern conditions.
£2 in person – £2.99 by post.
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