Scottish Independence

Clarity Needed to Reverse Indy Retreat

by Hugh Cullen

Opinion polls taken since the 2014 Referendum paint a picture of support for a second referendum on independence slowly trickling away. Polls don’t tell the whole story but they correlate with what we are seeing on the ground; formerly active and vibrant Yes groups have either folded, become social gatherings or are dominated by nationalism detached from reality.

Comparing the SNP of late 2014/15, buoyed by 100,000 new members and electoral domination, to today seems like day and night. The Nationalists have paid a huge price for not making the case for Independence at any election since the referendum – and allowing themselves to be chased away from the issue by the Unionists.

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Corbyn, Confusion, Socialism and Independence

by Ken Ferguson

The recent general election which reduced the Tories to a minority government and put UK Labour some fifty seats behind them has caused shock waves across politics not least in the movement for Scottish Independence.

Recent weeks have displayed a range of infighting, name calling, political confusion, bile and in some cases simply personal posturing. This has including attacks on Yes backers who voted Labour, criticism on the topic of who is or isn’t acceptable within the Yes camp and how all this should be reported in the media.

This culminated with a series of columns from various Yes luminaries arguing that the Yes movement is really alive and well and citing –

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Radical class-based demands are at the heart of Indyref2

by Liam McLaughlan

British politics is in period of almost unparalleled self-inflicted chaos and confusion. A zombie Tory-led government – devoid of any credibility – staggers on. They march to the tune of the lambeg and flute of Arlene Foster’s DUP, the empty nothings of Theresa May and the Tory hard Brexit negotiations underway. For the first time since Sept 18th 2014, I’m happy with some of Nicola Sturgeon’s approach to the national question and strategy for delivering a vote for independence.

Yesterday’s pause in proceedings recognises what the SSP made clear; tying Scotland’s quest for self determination to the issue of European Union membership was the wrong issue at the wrong time.

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Independence offers our only escape from a Zombie Government

“A campaign is underway in the Scottish media to portray Ruth Davidson’s Tories as the ‘real’ winners of this General Election north of the Border despite them being again comprehensively rejected here” warns SSP national spokesman Colin Fox.

He continued: “All the polls suggest the Tories will win this General Election at UK level with a big majority. But they also conclude this will occur despite being rejected in 90% of Scottish seats.”

“This ‘zombie election’ threatens Scotland with another nightmare – 5 more years of a right-wing Tory government with no mandate north of the Border. We didn’t vote for them last time or the time before that, we will not vote for them on June 8th either and yet we are set to be lumbered with them yet again.”

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SNP must put Independence at the heart of its manifesto

The Scottish Socialist Party today called on the Scottish National Party to put Independence at the heart of its General Election manifesto next week.

Their call was made as the SSP began distributing 100,000 leaflets throughout the country making the case for an Independent Socialist Scotland.

It followed Tory manifesto launch demands for “public consent” for a second referendum.

“Putting the demand for independence at the heart of this election is the best way to counter Theresa May’s threat to block a second referendum” said SSP national spokesman Colin Fox.

“The polls suggest the Tories are heading for a landslide victory south of the Border on June 8th, but will again secure no mandate to govern here.

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Corbyn echoes Tory rhetoric on Independence

Scottish Socialist Party National spokesman Colin Fox described Jeremy Corbyn’s anti independence manifesto as “Deeply disappointing and underlining why Labour is in such deep crisis in Scotland.”

“Pro independence socialists have a great deal of sympathy with the many progressive and forward thinking policies Jeremy Corbyn advocates in the Labour manifesto.”

“However his failure to understand the National Question in Scotland is glaringly obvious. He is left sounding exactly like Ruth Davidson and Theresa May. Nor does he appreciate that the same political forces supporting him in England are largely in the ‘Yes’ camp here.

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Snap Election – Voters : Make this “The Independence Election”

by Colin Fox and Natalie Reid

The Scottish Socialist Party will not be standing in the General Election on June 8, but that does not mean we will not be campaigning.

We will.

Our annual conference in Glasgow last weekend committed all SSP members across Scotland to spend the next six weeks making the case for independence and helping to ensure this becomes the “independence election”. Why is that so important?

Well, if all the opinion polls are correct, and we see no reason to doubt their common conclusion, Theresa May is heading for a victory at Westminster. And Labour is heading for a hiding.

Such a result is not a good one for working class people anywhere in Britain.

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SSP Demands A “Clear and Unequivocal Call To Reinforce Referendum Mandate”

The Scottish Socialist Party are to launch a high profile campaign to persuade pro independence candidates to put a clear mandate for independence in their manifestos for June’s election over the next six weeks.

Meeting in Glasgow at the weekend the SSP Annual conference endorsed the party leadership’s campaign to make 2017 ‘the independence election’ and agreed that rather than standing candidates the party’s priority would be to maximise support for self-determination itself.

The SSP’s re-elected National spokesman Colin Fox said:

“The SSP stands for independence and we intend to build support for it in the weeks to come. As part of that campaign we will be pressing the SNP to include a cast iron commitment to independence in their manifesto in order to build momentum behind the idea to counter the Tory assault on working people in Scotland.”

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