UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Thursday 6 September 2012

Red Paper alternative- independence or people power

As the SNP again launches its independence campaign with no more detail than the last few launches, a new left campaign in Scotland rejects the SNP’s version of independence while also rejecting the policies of those content with the status quo. "The referendum offers an opportunity to ask more far reaching questions about the future of Scotland and what type of society we want to live in", says a  Red Paper Collective pamphlet.
..Redpaper.net is a group of trade union, academic and left activists looking at the national question in Scotland from a class perspective.

The general stance is that independence doesn’t automatically equate with socialist paradise - but that the “Better Together” 'no' campaign isn’t offering anything either.

The articles that might be of particular interest to UNISONActive readers are:-

Richard Leonard (from the GMB) on the Scottish Economy
http://redpaper.net/2012/09/01/who-owns-scotland-the-realities-of-economic-power/

And John Foster on why Scotland is (a wee bit – not much) more left wing than England as a whole, but why independence is, if anything more likely to undermine that than encourage it
http://redpaper.net/2012/09/01/economic-development-progressive-values-and-scotland-as-a-nation/

UNSION Scotland's head of bargaining does a an article of the politics of Tax in relation to devolution and independence... and on his own blog he's got a summary of the paper as a whole...
http://unisondave.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/red-paper-latest-pamphlet.html#comment-form