On May 26th, the city of Edinburgh prepared itself to give a heated
welcome to the racist members of the SDL, who were planning to
demonstrate in the city.This demonstration was shamefully unprecedented,
with members of the SDL having been granted the local authorities’
permission to demonstrate legally, despite continuous violent attacks
against Muslims in particular, all across the country.
“From Scotland to Spain, the problem is the same!” was one of many slogans being shouted from the streets of Edinburgh today (29th May) as around 200 – 300 people (most from Edinburgh’s sizeable Spanish
community) organised to demonstrate in solidarity with revolutionary
movements in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
On Thursday history was made as the
Scottish National Party, who only a decade ago seemed destined to play
second fiddle to the Labour Party in Scottish politics, became the first
party in the Scottish Parliament’s twelve year history to form a single
party majority. More importantly, for the first time there is a
pro-independence majority in the Parliament, and consequently a
referendum on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom will be
held within the next five year term.
There are just over three months to go before the elections for the
Scottish parliament, which take place on May 5th. Aside from the
contest itself the Scottish electorate is left with the knowledge that,
whoever wins the election, massive cuts are set to follow after the
Nationalist Scottish Government set a budget in December clearly aimed
at winning this election.
John Swinney’s launch of the Scottish budget went down like a damp squib
as the Nationalist government attempts to balance its way between the
cuts from Westminster and the increasingly unpopular administration’s
electoral prospects in May. The Finance Minister announced a raft of
cuts, “efficiency savings” and real wage cuts.
On Saturday 20,000 people marched through
the streets of Edinburgh to show their opposition to cuts in public services.
The march was called by the Scottish Trade Union Congress to launch their
“There is a Better Way” campaign, which they have described as the beginning of
the fight against Tory cuts north of the border.
This Saturday Glasgow once again showed that we won’t tolerate fascists and the far-right on our streets.
After spending most of the week following the general election wheeling
and dealing his way to power, David Cameron expected his first prime
ministerial visit to Scotland to be somewhat more dignified. However
this was not to be as the Tory leader was once again forced in and out
of the back doors. This time it wasn’t to woo the Liberals but to flee
from protestors!
It was one of the surest things in British politics: when an election
comes around, no matter the national trend, Scotland will always vote
Labour. But with the SNP managing to form a minority government,
winning one more seat than Labour in the 2007 Scottish Parliament
election, and then their shock by-election victory in Glasgow east in
2008 it seemed, to some, that the Scottish working class was switching
their allegiances.
The suicide of three Russian asylum seekers has aroused the indignation
of the local community in Springburn. A mother, father and stepson
jumped from the fifteenth floor of a tower bloc in the Red Road flats
in Springburn, Glasgow. This followed the rejection of their asylum
application, with the family having been instructed to leave the flats
in Springburn following this.
The suicide of three Russian asylum seekers has aroused the indignation
of the local community in Springburn. A mother, father and stepson
jumped from the fifteenth floor of a tower bloc in the Red Road flats
in Springburn, Glasgow. This followed the rejection of their asylum
application, with the family having been instructed to leave the flats
in Springburn following this.
On the 6th of March around 10,000 teachers, students, parents and political activists took part in a demonstration organised by the main Scottish teaching trade union, the EIS, against proposed cuts to education funding by both the Scottish government and local councils.