16.10.1997

Manchester Alliance debates Scotland

Greater Manchester Socialist Alliance launched its bi-monthly programme of debates last week, with an exchange between the CPGB and the Alliance for Workers Liberty entitled, ‘Devolution - the way forward?’

Opening for the CPGB, Steve Riley set the issue within the context of the destruction of the post-1945 social democratic settlement; the crisis of the monarchy; and the rise of national sentiment in Scotland and Wales, which was a consequence of economic decline. He stated that it was important to recognise that Scotland is not an oppressed nation like Ireland: rather it is a nationality within a capitalist nation state. However, there is a democratic deficit - no matter how the Scottish people vote, they cannot determine the composition of the UK government. Self-determination is not available to the people of Scotland within the UK constitution.

The CPGB’s position was to call for the right of self-determination for the Scottish people. But this in no way meant advocacy of the separation of Scotland from England and Wales. Such a break would be detrimental to working class unity. Contrarily, the CPGB called for self-determination to be exercised in order to create a federal republic of England, Scotland and Wales; and a united Ireland. Moreover, this was an objective which must be won by independent working class political organisation.

Blair’s response to national aspirations in Scotland and Wales has been to offer a sop. The Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly are part of his plans for constitutional reform and the coherence of a new consensus based on monarchy and state. The left response has largely been an approach of gradualism: to say ‘yes, yes’ to Blair; to support Scotland Forward - even to suggest that Scottish and Welsh parliaments could legislate in socialism. They had, once again, put the working class in tow to Labourism. Labourism is an enemy, comrade Riley concluded. The social democratic settlement had smothered revolutionary politics. Its death offered new opportunities for revolutionaries. The task is to deliver a proletarian challenge to New Labour’s New Britain.

Mark Catterall, for the AWL, started with the assertion that the major concern for socialists is building working class unity, but we must also be consistent democrats. If the people of Scotland want self-determination, we must support that demand. It does not follow that we support separation which, he agreed, would be detrimental to working class unity.

The creation of a Scottish parliament is a democratic advance. It is not a sop, he said. It will control £14 billion of public spending and has more powers than the Liberals were proposing for Ireland prior to the Curragh mutiny. Moreover, nothing in the white paper would prevent the Scottish parliament calling for a referendum on independence. Of course, Westminster could reject such a call, but to do so would be to risk revolution in Scotland. However, the parliament is not the answer for the working class. It will be dominated by Blairites. As for Scotland Forward, this was a petty bourgeois-dominated, cross-class alliance that could not last for long. The big bourgeoisie had “sat on its hands”, being prepared to let Blair “have a go” at beheading Scottish nationalism.

What is needed, comrade Catterall maintained, is working class independence, a movement that does not tail the petty bourgeoisie. But such a movement does not yet exist. The CPGB call for an active boycott of the referendum was addressed to a working class that was far from ready to embark upon strikes and civil disobedience against “Blair’s sop”. The working class is indifferent to politics in general. This is a problem for the bourgeoisie, but an even bigger one to socialists. He concluded by stating that the independent working class movement can be built through the fight against Blair’s attacks on the welfare state.

A Socialist Party member asked the speakers if they would support candidates of the Scottish Socialist Alliance in elections to the Scottish parliament. Comrade Riley’s reply was an unequivocal yes. Comrade Catterall replied that this would depend on circumstances at the time - eg, whether the Labour Party/trade union link had been totally ended, and whether candidates had a base in the working class.

A section of the meeting positively favoured a break up of the UK, notably the speakers from the Communist League (US Militant) and Socialist Outlook. The working class is perfectly capable of maintaining unity across national borders they suggested. The CPGB and AWL were united in opposing this perspective, at both the British and the European levels. There was an important difference of emphasis however, in their final remarks. AWL - ‘We need to press for the working class to fight for its interests, whatever the constitutional arrangements’; CPGB - ‘There isn’t going to be a revolution if questions of the constitutional arrangements are not taken up by the working class.’

Eighteen comrades from seven political groups attended the debate. The only significant left groups in Manchester who were absent were Workers Power and the Socialist Workers Party. Debate was sharp but comradely. This was a modest, but encouraging beginning. Such a forum can be an important starting point for thrashing out the way forward for the working class.

Derek Hunter