01.08.2001

Threats denied

The Weekly Worker has previously reported on e-mailed threats made to the CPGB and its supporters in Scotland, which claimed to have been sent by the Scottish Separatist Group and the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement. We stated our belief that they in all likelihood emanated from a ?demented individual?, but called on the Scottish Socialist Party and all SSP platforms (including the SRSM) to repudiate these attempts to intimidate political opponents. We hear that similar threats have been made against the lord provost of Glasgow and that the CID has launched an investigation. The Scottish Separatist Group has now sent out this ?Open letter to the CPGB?

We have just been contacted by a journalist from the News of the World re various threats sent out by or in the name of the SRSM. In particular we were directed to your online publications, where you accuse us of sending threats.

Firstly, we have no knowledge of or any involvement in any such threats, and no interest in the internal affairs of the SRSM, the SSP or the CPGB. But we see from a recent and from a past issue of your paper that you have openly accused us of sending you several threats this year.

Wrong! We didn?t send you any threats at any time. If you had taken the sensible first step of contacting us, you would have been sent an immediate denial. Instead you publish two articles in which you state as fact that the threats emanated from the SSG!

You must be well aware that the SRSM is run by a mentally unstable individual, that he has a proven track record of sending such threats, and that when cornered he attempts to shift the blame on to someone else - usually another of his numerous ?enemies?.

In a nutshell, he has a known track record of this type of threat, and we have been the recipients of numerous threats ourselves. Should you receive similar threats in future, be assured that they did not emanate from the SSG.

As we are told that there is a police investigation into these threats, please feel free to pass this e-mail to the police.

Scottish Separatist Group
July 28 2001