19.01.1995

Devolutionary socialism?

The row over devolution is being used to fuel nationalism in Scotland. A Scottish parliament will not put power into the hands of workers

THE RECENT flurry of interest at Westminster in the Scottish question has not arisen because of any sudden increase in Scottish nationalism. Indeed political activity and debate around this issue has been on the wane with Scotland United - launched immediately after the 1992 general election with a fanfare of cross-party cooperation, pop stars and mass rallies - withering to non-existence.

What has sparked the interest has been John Major’s response to Blair’s programme of constitutional reform. Major has decided to use the issue in a nationalist appeal to Mr and Mrs Bigot in middle England.

Hyperbole and facile sound bites have been coming from all sides in the Westminster pillow fight. For example Major’s statement that Labour’s devolution plan is “one of the most dangerous propositions ever put before the British people” is obviously ludicrous. Indeed many present cabinet ministers supported devolution until Thatcher put a stop to that in 1976.

Perhaps most facile has been the assertion by George Robertson, shadow Scottish secretary, that Scots are “not narrow, inward looking people”, but “outward looking, outgoing” (The Scotsman January 11). Nationalist rhetoric does tend to thrive on such stupid generalisations.

Despite Major’s nonsense there are real dangers involved. A rise in anti-Scottish English nationalism (which the rhetoric of the Scottish National Party serves to encourage) would be disastrous for workers in Britain as a whole.

While it is unlikely that the Conservatives can build any such populist platform, it is vital that workers in England support Scotland’s right to self-determination. Denial of this right can only fuel increased nationalism in Scotland. At present polls indicate that 82% of Scots support some form of home rule, with full-blown independence at 38%.

These frustrations need to be channelled along class lines, away from nationalism. The feeding of illusions that constitutional changes, such as a Scottish parliament, will offer greater democracy and can even become a vehicle for socialism provides another danger. This is something that many on the left have been guilty of, putting short term popularity before the real interests of the working class.

Labour’s programme for constitutional change is designed to strengthen British capitalism, not weaken it. Whatever form of government the bosses’ state sets up, communists will stand for election to it to expose it as a sham, and always have at the top of the agenda the need to smash it and establish real workers’ democracy.

In today’s world it is surely abundantly clear that nationalism can offer nothing positive and can only be used as a scapegoating cover to hide the real common problems facing workers throughout the world - the capitalist system with its ravenous drive for profit and its inevitable slide to general crisis.

Our forces are woefully weak at present. We must fight any attempt to divide us along national lines.

Tam Burn