21.09.1995

Scots democratic deficit

THE DUNDEE, Lochee West by- election was well supported considering it was to elect someone to a council that does not yet exist. The Communist candidate, Dominic Handley, was the only candidate to increase his vote since the last election. But in reality we are just beginning to develop roots. More important than the actual votes, the campaign was a success in developing our branch.

Our campaigning revealed three main strands of opinion. A sizeable minority that believes all politicians are only out for themselves and so do not take part in any political activity. In many ways this is the most disaffected stratum and includes most young people.

The dominant strand voted Labour to get rid of the Tories. Their hopes are very modest, but they believe Labour will be a little better and devolution will help Scotland’s economy.

The Scottish National Party is a coalition of all nationalist forces. However it is posing to the left of the Labour Party in anticipation of grabbing the working class vote if, as looks likely, Labour wins the next general election and then alienates its supporters.

Scotland has an alternative to Labour, but the discussion at the polling station revealed the reality. SNP to Labour: “You should be ashamed of yourselves for supporting the closure of Dundee Royal Infirmary.” Labour to SNP: “You should be ashamed of abolishing bus passes for the handicapped.”

Both put their trust in business to solve Scotland’s problems and neither intend to protect the workers against the bosses.

SNP leader Alex Salmond hopes to represent Scotland at Brussels and make deals with other heads of state. His programme is not aimed at bringing the European Union under democratic control.

Unless a British government is able to reverse Scotland’s relative economic decline, which seems unlikely, resentment towards government from London will continue to grow and turn in to hostility to ordinary English people, which is negligible at present.

The revolutionary task is to forge unity between workers, but this cannot always be in conditions of our own choosing. The SNP correctly identifies the “democratic deficit” as a major problem. A federal republic would be a better method of eradicating the “democratic deficit” - not just for Scotland, but for Wales, England and Europe. It enables the working class to enter the debate with an independent policy of its own that brings workers together to fight for common democratic interests. At a time when working class consciousness is so dominated by bourgeois thinking, it exposes ruling class hypocrisy most effectively.

Phil Kent