Current Issue - RADICAL SCOTTISH POLITICAL WRITING

Dark, dismal days for democracy

The politics of Scotland and Britain are about to enter dark days for democracy. A white, ageing and disproportionately male[…]

Democracy is on-going and never finished

Willie Sullivan, Jess Garland and Michela Palese on how to fix our broken political system Most commentators seem to buy[…]

Scottish Parliament: essential to Scottish democracy but what kind of democracy?

Paul Cairney argues the Scottish Parliament is fundamental to Scottish democracy but legitimises pluralist rather than participatory democracy A well-functioning[…]

Benefitting from the Brexit benefit of broken Britain

Tommy Sheppard argues only an independent Scotland can be the crucible for citizens’ control Democracy means the right to change[…]

The hard-right today: Fascists and non-fascists

Neil Davidson says knowing fascists from hard right populists is essential in fighting them both The left always risks making[…]

Can populism ever be principled?

George Kerevan traces the roots of populism to discern its progressive potential How do we build a realistic alternative to[…]

SNP EU election success: a case of the emperor’s new clothes?

Kenny MacAskill says behind the apparent advance lie deep-rooted problems of policy and participation The EU elections were a good[…]

Pushing up popular participation

Chris Hegarty says Voices for Scotland can re-invigorate the vitality of civic Scotland in its independence campaign Much is being[…]

Lessons for the West from the East: the Kurdish democratic experiment

Back from a women’s delegation to northern Syria in 2018, Sarah Glynn reports on her visit A common defence of[…]

Where now for Corbyn on Brexit?

George Reid wonders whether Corbyn is hamstrung by his attachment to the ‘left analysis’ of the EU ‘Blimey, that was[…]

Scottish Labour: hope after adversity

Siobhan McCready says it’s time for Leonard’s leadership to be supported not supplanted When Richard Leonard won the Scottish Labour[…]

Revisiting funding local government and local services

Mike Danson and Geoff Whittam summarise their research on where new local government funding can come from Local government has[…]

Fighting and winning in FE

Pam Currie reflects on the successes of the further education lecturers’ campaign for better conditions Scottish further education lecturers settled[…]

Governance, marketization and Scotland’s universities

Jeremy Valentine dissects the destruction of our public universities and suggests what changes are needed to re-invigorate them as ‘public[…]

Green revolt on our streets

Niamh McNulty explains why XR Scotland has done what it’s done and what it will still do In April 2019,[…]

Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector

Poverty and people

The UN Special Rapporteur Report on Extreme Poverty in Britain illustrates the impact of austerity and a hostile policy environment.[…]

China: red star still rising at seventy?

Bill Bonnar explains the path China is on and the challenges it faces The People’s Republic of China (PRC) celebrates[…]

Jimmy Reid’s words still echo on education

David Watt explains the work of the Socialist Educational Association Scotland Jimmy Reid’s rectorial speech of nearly fifty years ago[…]

From national service to civic service?

Moira Craig says experience of public services for the young would pay democratic dividends One of the most important decisions[…]

Film Review

The Public (2019), writer and director: Emilio Estevez Reviewed by Jackie Bergson With an endearing central performance by Emilio Estevez,[…]

Book Review

Alexander Trocchi: An intriguing writer Sean Sheehan reviews a number of Trocchi’s key works Glasgow-born Alexander Trocchi was a fiery[…]

Vladimir McTavish’s A KICK UP THE TABLOIDS

Seldom in recent memory has there been a bigger disconnect between voters and their elected politicians than the current contest[…]

Editorial – 20th Anniversary Reflections on the Scottish Parliament

The theme of this issue of Scottish Left Review is an examination of the intentions, processes and outcomes of the[…]

Has devolution lived up to its promise?

Michael Keating makes a balance sheet of the good, the bad and the not so beautiful. Devolution in 1999 was[…]