04.07.1996

An honourable man?

Scottish Labour MP John McAllion resigned his front bench seat in protest against Blair’s backtrack on devolution. Now he is being portrayed as a ‘man of honour’ by the media in Scotland. Communist Mary Ward - McAllion’s election agent and leader of Dundee district council when a Labour member - could not disagree more

The Scottish executive of the Labour Party and Scottish Labour MPs were left floundering with embarrassment when Tony Blair announced his U-turn on devolution proposals for Scotland. For years they have boasted about the autonomy of the Scottish Labour Party and only three weeks ago they were discussing different manifestos for England and Scotland in the next election.

But New Labour is about winning votes at all costs and as soon as Tony became restless about the jibes of Michael Forsyth over the “tartan tax” then even the blushes of senior party spokesmen like Harry Ewing were not to be spared.

The cornerstone of Labour’s policy for Scotland - that is, to legislate for a Scottish parliament during the first year of office, based on the proposals worked out through the Scottish Constitutional Convention - were junked without consultation. This was a policy fought for over many years by the left/nationalist wing of the party and described by the now revered John Smith as “unfinished business”.

George Galloway, Dennis Canavan and Willie McKelvey were visibly consumed with rage at the announcement, which most of them heard about for the first time from the television and radio news. And of course Dundee East ‘left’ MP John McAllion resigned his front bench position.

After so many Labour rightwing ‘betrayals’ on health, education, unemployment, then clause four, McAllion hung on to his illusion that it would all be OK as we would be given a Scottish parliament, a beacon of ‘socialism’ throughout Britain and the rest of the world.

Wrong on both counts, John!

Blair is clearly prepared to do deals with the devil himself if it will gain electoral credibility.

Although McAllion has given up his front bench position as spokesman on constitutional affairs, local government and health, he will still stand in the next general election for a party that is prepared to pursue massive attacks on the working class and which makes no pretence of being ‘socialist’. But then he is an honourable man, apparently.

When hospitals in his own constituency were being closed, McAllion and Ernie Ross, his counterpart in the west of Dundee, went along with the health trust’s plans. The actions of an honourable man?

Most recently, when parents and communities have been fighting against education and social service cuts, McAllion and Ross were conspicuous by their absence. Instead of fighting alongside the people they purport to represent, they were wheeled in by the local councillors to convince party activists that the council had no choice. A very honourable role, no doubt.

Blair has already said he will find a place for McAllion in his government. These people do not deserve the support of the working class. McAllion will be bought off in the future just as he has been bought off in the past.

As it stands, the referendum on the Scottish parliament will have only two questions. A Scottish parliament - yes or no? Tax raising powers - yes or no? The proposals of Labour have never been about self-determination for Scotland. There is no ability for the Scottish people to secede if that is their desire. Instead, they are given a sop, a degree of local government under the constitutional monarchy.

The furore greeting Blair’s announcement is feeding the flames of nationalism in Scotland. Communists must stand against this and for a federal republic. Scotland must have the means to decide its constitutional relationship with the rest of Britain, up to and including the right to secede and form a separate nation. Led by the working class, the fight for such a democratic demand on an all-Britain basis will be a powerful weapon in undermining the strength of nationalism in Scotland and the grip of English chauvinism over the mass of the working class and forging a united front for revolution.

No to Labour’s devolution!
Self-determination for Scotland!