Scotland in revolt against austerity

2013 Glasgow demonstration against the bedroom tax, which has now been defeated in Scotland, photo Jim Halfpenny

2013 Glasgow demonstration against the bedroom tax, which has now been defeated in Scotland, photo Jim Halfpenny   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

‘Yes’ support hits the Tories

  • Strike on 14 October to fight cuts
  • Fight for a socialist alternative

Ten days before the Scottish independence referendum, the Guardian’s Martin Kettle wrote: “These may not be ten days that will shake the world, as John Reed called the Russian revolution. But they will be ten days that could change all our lives, shaking the British state and its people to their very foundations.”

Polls showing big growth in support for a Yes vote have sent dismay and terror coursing through Westminster’s capitalist elite.

The result on 18 September looks very close but remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that growing sections of the working class and youth are seeing the vote as a chance to say No to austerity and strike a blow against the Con-Dems.

Even the Tories acknowledge the Yes surge is about opposition to them and their policies. Why else did Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson say it did not appear likely that her party would win a second term in government? Yes is seen as a way for Scots to rid themselves of the Tories.

Polls also show that support for Yes among Labour voters has almost doubled in the last month from 18% to 35%. As well as the Labour leadership’s commitment to Tory spending plans in the event of a Labour government in 2015, Labour councils have been implementing Tory policies, cutting jobs, slashing services, spreading misery to millions everywhere.

Given that it also implements austerity, neither is the Scottish National Party seen as a party capable of resolving the problems faced by Scottish workers and young people.

New party needed

Socialist Party Scotland (SPS), the sister party of the Socialist Party in England and Wales, is energetically building support for Yes. SPS explains the need for the powers of independence to be used to end austerity and for democratic public ownership to run the economy in the interests of the 99% – socialism.

SPS argues that to most effectively express its needs the working class in Scotland has to build a new mass party. The same goes for us in England and Wales.

The most important lesson from the campaign so far is that we, working class people, can have an impact on events. The capitalist parties are falling over themselves to offer concessions to Scotland in the event of a No vote. This was not on the table until they felt the hot breath of opposition on their necks.

The preparations for the coordinated public sector pay strike on 14 October across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the TUC demo on 18 October should be infused with the confidence that the working class has enormous potential power to influence the course of events – let’s use it to fight cuts and change society!