Below is a statement derived from the deepest well of hubris and self denial:
SOLIDARITY
SCOTLAND'S SOCIALIST MOVEMENT
In light of today's headlines in the News Of The World, Lothian members of Solidarity would like to take this opportunity of reaffirming their unequivocal support for Tommy Sheridan and for those comrades who stood in solidarity with him in his recent defamation case against the Murdoch Press. It is worth recalling that this case resulted in a fantastic victory against all the odds and despite the best efforts of some of Tommy Sheridan’s former political allies in aiding the Murdoch Press in their attempt to ruin his political career, doing so in the interests of the same rotten establishment which Tommy has dedicated his life to fighting on behalf of the working class and oppressed in our society.
Indeed, the tremendous amount of goodwill and support which Tommy and which Solidarity have received in recent weeks - at various public meetings and when out campaigning, etc. - is testimony to the affection in which Tommy Sheridan is held as a result of that dedication.
The name adopted for our new socialist movement - Solidarity - was chosen with good reason. If the Murdoch Press and their hirelings think they can demoralise or defeat us then they are grievously mistaken. Our shared vision of a society based on equality and justice, of a world built on the principal of universal human rights and self determination, is far stronger and worth much more than the ill-gotten fortunes of the Rupert Murdochs of this world.
The history of working class struggle is littered with examples of the best and worst of humanity, with examples of outstanding courage and craven acts of betrayal. Lothians members of Solidarity are proud to be in the same movement as those who lend credibility to the greatest cause in the world - the cause of socialism. Let no one be in any doubt.
We are here to stay.
STATEMENT ENDS.
John Wight
Solidarity Lothians Press Officer
07738528145
Comment:
The only truth in the above statement is the last line "We are here to stay." John reveals his anxiety with this statement. Of course John you are here to stay - outside the movement, as an historical curiosity and a rich source of analysis for the rest of us.
The rest of it is simply a vulgar rehashing of the "your with us or against us" mantra all too familiar and with unfortunate historical precedents, at least from a progressive point of view.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
The politics of deceit
A sensational tape has surfaced from an impeccable source within the movement. On the tape Tommy Sheridan is candid and open about the events surrounding his recent well publicised libel case against the News of the World.
All those in the movement who believed Tommy was telling the truth must now ask themselves if the movement can continue with this kind of lying and deceit.
The political abc's of the movement is it is built on trust and honest relationships and conversely harmed by lies and political spin. Those who cynically went along with Tommy's lies, and I specifically accuse the SWP and CWI leadership, have a lot of explaining to do.
Those who naively believed those lies need to urgently rethink their politics. The movement is too important to be the property of one man. Lining up behind Tommy because he is the "charismatic leader" is precisely the type of thinking of Tito's Yugoslavia.
The Scottish left and the broader movement must critically examine the events of the last two years in the SSP. It's time to grow up - develop our own abilities and self confidence and support others to do the same.
Let's develop together an Interdependent movement not a codependent or dependant movement. One which honours honesty, values every contribution to human progress and works towards genuine participatory democracy without secrets and lies.
The transcript below is from the NotW website:
Sheridan held a series of tense meetings with friends and former colleagues as he tried to whip up support for his plan to sue the News of the World over stories about his private life.
One of those the MSP visited was George McNeilage — who’d been among the three best men at the politician’s June 2000 wedding to Gail Healy.
What Sheridan didn't know as he sat in McNeilage's Glasgow home was that EVERY word was being caught on video tape. This is the transcript of that meeting, which begins just after Sheridan’s arrival.
Sheridan is blunt as the conversation begins with him confirming he was confronted by Keith Baldassara and Alan McCombes about trips to Cupids...
TOMMY SHERIDAN: Right, obviously you've got a situation where, ehm, I was upset with Keith a couple of years ago because he told Alan.
GEORGE McNEILAGE: About the swingers?
SHERIDAN: About me going down to Manchester in 2002. And Alan pulled me up about it. And I said to him: 'Look, stupid, shouldnae have done it. Done it once before in '96 and went back in 2002.
"And cheap thrill but it's been done and that's it. At the time it was a great idea but I'm confident nothing will come back out of it."
McNeilage says he knows Sheridan went to the club with brother-in-law Andy McFarlane and a pal but Sheridan insists he can deny being the unnamed MSP in Anvar Khan's book as she has altered certain details to hide his identity.
McNEILAGE: Tam, I've read the article, I know who it is. She's wrote it coded but I know it's **** and I know it's f*****g Andy.
SHERIDAN: What's important, George, is the facts which she refers to.
McNEILAGE: What, the booze and the f*****g?
SHERIDAN: Well, number one, 2001. Right? Number two, she meets the guy the first time at it (Cupids) in 2001. Number three, she meets him in an Edinburgh bar in 2001.
Number four, she then has drunken sex with him after she's been taken for a meal by him later in 2001.
Number five, the guy tries to hide he's married.
Number six, we then drive from London to Manchester to go to a sex club, right?
McNEILAGE: Which I found f*****g strange.
SHERIDAN: All of that is nonsense. You know the real story. The News of the World have then ran the story "Married MSP affair".
Sheridan admits his relationship with Anvar but he is already calculating how he can use her intimate knowledge of him — particularly his hairy body — to cover his tracks. He went on to use a similar line in court.
SHERIDAN: There's been a few sessions. In 1992, me and ***** were sh*****g her. 1992, which is in certain respects my saving grace because if there's any story about what she knows about my personal habits or if she knows about I've got a hairy back or a hairy a***, of course she does because she f*****g sh****d me and I've admitted that. That's out in the open. That's a matter of public record.
McNEILAGE: I know that.
SHERIDAN: Alan comes on the phone, saying: "Is this you?" I said: "Of course it is. I'll speak to you the morrow." So I meet with Keith and Alan in the City Chambers and, ehm, Alan says to me: "Listen, I've had a long think about this and I think you should own up."
I says: "Well, wait a wee minute Alan, first of all I'm no' even f*****g accused of anything. Is this no' a wee bit harsh here?" The point is, Alan's suggestion to me is: "Just own up, people will forgive a sexual liaison, but they'll no' forgive a liar."
And I says: "Well look, you're asking me to own up to something when, if she now comes out and says it's me, she's going to have to say that she lied in her book."
McNEILAGE: But that could be f*** all to her, Tam.
SHERIDAN: If you let me take it to (inaudible) conclusion because it might be f*** all to her but it's no' f*** all in a court of law. In a court of law, she's made a c*** of herself.
In a court of law she's said one thing in a newspaper article, one thing in a book, which I've had checked out.
She's...throughout her book, she's talked about how everything is true.
So I say to Alan and Keith that, what I want to do is to face it down. I think they've got f*** all on me.
I think if they had anything on me they'd have used it long before now.
Next, he confirms his intention to lie, saying he'll fight on unless given "incontrovertible evidence"...
SHERIDAN: George, I've put my hand up and said "mistake", I've put my hand up and said "recklessness", I've put my hand up and said, "you know, in the balance of things, I've made a mistake", right?
I think what's happened to me since, eh, is a wee bit over the top because I feel as though I'm f*****g Julius Caesar, I feel as though I'm getting used as a teabag the now.
I ask, eh, I ask Alan and Keith to give me the opportunity to see it down and I say to them: "I guarantee you if I am presented with incontrovertible evidence — video tapes, CCTV, something of that character — I'll put my hand up and say ‘I'm sorry'...and I'll walk away.
"But I'm no' prepared to give in to f*****g bullying because that's what the News of the World, in my opinion, is doing right now — f*****g bullying. They have been told it's me but they can't prove it."
Alan (inaudible) disagrees, and says that he wants to talk to a few others about it. I said: "What do you mean talk to a few others about it?"
My biggest worry here is you know about it, he knows about it, I know about it and there's three or four others who I trust impeccably know about it. I say to him: "Look, fine, if you want. I disagree but fine."
Sheridan's fury surfaces as he tells McNeilage about the meeting called to discuss his sex life...
SHERIDAN: I get a phone call on the Wednesday or Thursday, eh, can I come to a meeting on Friday morning?
"What's the meeting for?"
"It's a meeting of as many executive members as possible."
"How, what's happened?"
"Well, we want to have a meeting about this."
"So who have you told?"
Nine people have been told. Nine f*****g people, including Carolyn Leckie, including, you know, Rosie Kane, including f*****g Catriona Grant, people who, politically, I've got f*****g problems with and have had for a long time, who don't particularly like me anyway.
And I say: "Eh, it's a Thursday night, I'm going to a Cathcart Branch meeting up in Castlemilk."
Alan's on the phone: "I want you to come to this meeting the morrow."
"What for?"
"I've had a word with these executive members and they all agree with me that you should admit to it."
So I f*****g blew the top then, I'm, I'm now p***** off that I'm f*****g getting people talking about me behind my back, people I don't trust and everything else.
So I say to him: "Why do you want me to come to the meeting, then?"
"Eh, so we can try and convince you..."
"Well, you've tried to convince me already. You've already convinced all these other people. You've obviously decided what should happen to me. I think it's a f*****g disgrace what you've done. You've went..."
And then we had a bit of an argument about it and he starts saying: "You've hogged the limelight for far too long, you've been in the spotlight. You think you're beyond reproach."
Things which I was saying to myself, "oh, wait a wee minute, what's f*****g going on here?" I'm getting really, now suspicious, so I say: "F*** it, I'm no' coming to the f*****g meeting."
Sheridan now tells how fellow MSP Colin Fox phoned to discuss the growing crisis...
SHERIDAN: First, this is the only other guy that's phoned me now. Says he's wanted to get my side of the story, he's heard Alan say what he's got to say, would it not be worthwhile meeting?
I says: "Well wait a wee minute Colin, Alan's told me that everybody agrees with him.
"So you're asking me to come to a meeting where everybody's already made up their minds."
He tries to convince me that everybody hasn't made up their mind yet. At the very least he hasn't made up his mind.
McNeilage explains that Baldassara is angry because he already KNEW the truth about Sheridan and had predicted it would come out into the open...
McNEILAGE: I think he's p***** off, Tam. Do you know how? I think he's p***** off because everything's now all surfacing, everything's now all surfacing that we f*****g warned you about f*****g years ago, right?
SHERIDAN: Fine, fine.
McNEILAGE: It's spilled milk and it's done, mate.
Sheridan goes on to explain what happened in advance of the committee meeting of November 9, 2004...
SHERIDAN: Wait a wee minute. I can tell you that. Tuesday, I'm going through on the train to, ehm, Edinburgh. Phone call from Allison Kane.
"Eh, Tommy, are you going to this EC meeting tonight?"
"What EC meeting are you talking about?"
I've been phoning people on the Monday not able to get anybody to get back to me. Fiz (Felicity Garvie, Sheridan's Parliamentary Assistant) never got back to me, Keith never got back to me, nobody's speaking to me.
"There's a special EC been called the night." First I've heard of it. I'm on the 11 o'clock train through to Edinburgh — sorry, I'm on the 10 o'clock train — I'm going through for the group meeting at half 11. First I've heard of it.
"Oh right, oh sorry, eh, there's a special EC on the night."
Okay, phone Colin. "What's all this about a special EC meeting that I don't know anything about?"
"Aye Tommy, sorry, aye, Allan Green should have told you yesterday. We've called, Alan McCombes has called a special EC meeting. He wants to put a motion that you should resign from the party. Sorry, resign from the convener..."
McNEILAGE: On the basis of stories, of the stories that have come out and...
SHERIDAN: On the basis of what they know. I says: "F*** sake, that's great, you're going to have a meeting that I don't even know about."
Meanwhile, I've arranged to go and see Lynne and Carol (Sheridan's sisters). They've no' seen the scan (Sheridan's wife Gail was then pregnant with the couple's first child).
The scan's a week old. They're f*****g angry that they've no' got a chance to see it. I've arranged to go and see them that night.
I says: "I'm going to my sisters' the night, f*** sake."
"Tommy, I'd appreciate if you could, if you could come to this meeting. I really would appreciate it."
I says: "Well fine."
He says: "But Frances and I want to see you this afternoon as well. We've cancelled the group meeting. Frances and I want to meet you."
Sheridan then talks about the meeting with fellow MSPs Colin Fox and Frances Curran...
SHERIDAN: We go round to a hotel, round the corner from the Parliament. Frances is sitting there. Colin's sitting there. I says: "Right, so what's happening?"
Frances: "Well I might as well get straight to the point, Tommy. I want your letter of resignation."
This is Frances who...who, you know, I've been, I've known for so long. She's no' spoke to me. She's no' spoke to me ever about this.
She's no' phoned me or f*** all. I want your letter of resignation! I says: "That's a cracking way to start the meeting Frances. Do I get to speak or is this just your opinion?"
"Well, we've decided, we've, we've met, we've decided."
I says: "So you've met and you've decided? It's just as well I didnae bother coming to any meetings, eh, because obviously your minds are all made up."
"Well, that's, that's the way it is."
Colin then intervenes, says: "Well, wait a wee minute, Frances, because I would actually appreciate if Tommy could get to say how he thinks we should approach it instead of just a resignation letter (inaudible) but I've no' made up my mind," he says.
So I tell them that I've been absolutely stupid, I've made a mistake, etc etc. I say to them: "If I'm presented with incontrovertible evidence, I walk away, I resign, I don't bring the party down. Ehm, I bring myself down and that's, that's just what happens."
I do say to them that the News of the World makes a living out of f*****g salacious stories about people.
The News of the World was f*****g involved with, you know, Scargill's paying his mortgage, etc, etc
McNEILAGE: I remember that
SHERIDAN: Everything, right? But no, they want my resignation, they want me to come to that meeting that night to explain myself.
Sheridan refers to Highland SSP organiser Duncan Rowan, who had already told the News of the World that Sheridan had an affair with Katrine Trolle...
SHERIDAN: And this is where I make the big mistake.
A f*****g huge mistake. Humungous f*****g mistake.
I go to the meeting. I go in. It's a room. The front room of the centre.
There's 19 people round a f*****g circle, sitting on desks, sitting on chairs. The atmosphere you could have cut it with a f*****g knife, man. Cut it with a knife.
Duncan f*****g shaking, shaking. f*****g (inaudible).
I then make the biggest mistake of my life by confessing something in front of 19 f*****g, what am I doing confessing in front of these c****?
C**** like this are telling me about how best to come forward and f*****g put my hand up, right?
Wait a wee minute now, let me finish the story, because then I do say my piece and I say what I want to do.
I say: "I'll walk away, I'll resign or if you would rather I stayed on until February and I stand down then I've got a baby coming anyway, I'm going to have a change in my life anyway, so if it makes sense stand down in February, blah blah blah.
"What I don't think would look good is if I walk away now.
"It'll look as though we're panicked. It'll look as though I've been sacked, blah blah blah."
Duncan makes a contribution. Hysterical.
"Tommy, I, I want to tell you there's a woman in a hospital bed the night. She could die the night.
"She's taken an overdose because she's been harassed by News of the World journalists outside her door, parked outside her door for days.
"They have been saying that she must admit an affair with you and she's taken an overdose.
She's in the hospital. I've checked and she's in the hospital, right, and I've had three phone calls.
"Her family say they're going to kill me. If she dies, they're going to kill me."
By the way, the meeting's already supercharged. Duncan's giving it f*****g laldy, bursts into tears. (inaudible) walks out the meeting.
Two or three people walk out after him. I'm sitting here now — I'm the bad b******.
Apparently I've put a lassie in hospital. Apparently I've put Duncan Rowan's life in danger because he's getting his life threatened.
‘He's told them about this affair'
What we now realise, of course, is Duncan's been taken for a f*****g kipper. The lassie is getting paid by the News of the World. The lassie has worked with the News of the World. The lassie s****** Duncan.
McNEILAGE: Has she snared you? Have you f*****g...
SHERIDAN: Did I? George I've never met her. I've never f*****g met the lassie. Right? Never met the lassie.
That summer there this f*****g lassie comes round the party.
Duncan's nae Lothario, he's nae f*****g stud but that lassie, you know, makes it plain that she's into him, s**** him, according to Stevie Arnott, he's smitten by her.
She then suddenly breaks it off a few weeks ago then contacts him two weeks ago, threatening to take her own life.
"Duncan, what's, there's something going on.
"Can you tell me about Tommy Sheridan because the News of the World say that I'm having an affair with him. They're saying I must admit to it."
What does Duncan do? Duncan comes to the meeting.
I don't know before that he's told a few people, particularly the Leckies of the world, he's told them about this affair, right?
They're all sitting there thinking I've had this affair. You've just asked me, reasonably enough, you've just asked me...
McNEILAGE: (inaudible) I know what f*****g like you are (inaudible).
Sheridan then continues to deny the substance of a News of the World story concerning Fiona McGuire...
SHERIDAN: If you did read it, you'd know it's s****.
Would I take somebody out for a meal?
Would I f*****g want somebody walking over me with high heels?
McNEILAGE: I know how they played Khan's story, I know that's not true, at the same time I know there's truth in it.
SHERIDAN: Okay, right fine, okay.
All those in the movement who believed Tommy was telling the truth must now ask themselves if the movement can continue with this kind of lying and deceit.
The political abc's of the movement is it is built on trust and honest relationships and conversely harmed by lies and political spin. Those who cynically went along with Tommy's lies, and I specifically accuse the SWP and CWI leadership, have a lot of explaining to do.
Those who naively believed those lies need to urgently rethink their politics. The movement is too important to be the property of one man. Lining up behind Tommy because he is the "charismatic leader" is precisely the type of thinking of Tito's Yugoslavia.
The Scottish left and the broader movement must critically examine the events of the last two years in the SSP. It's time to grow up - develop our own abilities and self confidence and support others to do the same.
Let's develop together an Interdependent movement not a codependent or dependant movement. One which honours honesty, values every contribution to human progress and works towards genuine participatory democracy without secrets and lies.
The transcript below is from the NotW website:
Sheridan held a series of tense meetings with friends and former colleagues as he tried to whip up support for his plan to sue the News of the World over stories about his private life.
One of those the MSP visited was George McNeilage — who’d been among the three best men at the politician’s June 2000 wedding to Gail Healy.
What Sheridan didn't know as he sat in McNeilage's Glasgow home was that EVERY word was being caught on video tape. This is the transcript of that meeting, which begins just after Sheridan’s arrival.
Sheridan is blunt as the conversation begins with him confirming he was confronted by Keith Baldassara and Alan McCombes about trips to Cupids...
TOMMY SHERIDAN: Right, obviously you've got a situation where, ehm, I was upset with Keith a couple of years ago because he told Alan.
GEORGE McNEILAGE: About the swingers?
SHERIDAN: About me going down to Manchester in 2002. And Alan pulled me up about it. And I said to him: 'Look, stupid, shouldnae have done it. Done it once before in '96 and went back in 2002.
"And cheap thrill but it's been done and that's it. At the time it was a great idea but I'm confident nothing will come back out of it."
McNeilage says he knows Sheridan went to the club with brother-in-law Andy McFarlane and a pal but Sheridan insists he can deny being the unnamed MSP in Anvar Khan's book as she has altered certain details to hide his identity.
McNEILAGE: Tam, I've read the article, I know who it is. She's wrote it coded but I know it's **** and I know it's f*****g Andy.
SHERIDAN: What's important, George, is the facts which she refers to.
McNEILAGE: What, the booze and the f*****g?
SHERIDAN: Well, number one, 2001. Right? Number two, she meets the guy the first time at it (Cupids) in 2001. Number three, she meets him in an Edinburgh bar in 2001.
Number four, she then has drunken sex with him after she's been taken for a meal by him later in 2001.
Number five, the guy tries to hide he's married.
Number six, we then drive from London to Manchester to go to a sex club, right?
McNEILAGE: Which I found f*****g strange.
SHERIDAN: All of that is nonsense. You know the real story. The News of the World have then ran the story "Married MSP affair".
Sheridan admits his relationship with Anvar but he is already calculating how he can use her intimate knowledge of him — particularly his hairy body — to cover his tracks. He went on to use a similar line in court.
SHERIDAN: There's been a few sessions. In 1992, me and ***** were sh*****g her. 1992, which is in certain respects my saving grace because if there's any story about what she knows about my personal habits or if she knows about I've got a hairy back or a hairy a***, of course she does because she f*****g sh****d me and I've admitted that. That's out in the open. That's a matter of public record.
McNEILAGE: I know that.
SHERIDAN: Alan comes on the phone, saying: "Is this you?" I said: "Of course it is. I'll speak to you the morrow." So I meet with Keith and Alan in the City Chambers and, ehm, Alan says to me: "Listen, I've had a long think about this and I think you should own up."
I says: "Well, wait a wee minute Alan, first of all I'm no' even f*****g accused of anything. Is this no' a wee bit harsh here?" The point is, Alan's suggestion to me is: "Just own up, people will forgive a sexual liaison, but they'll no' forgive a liar."
And I says: "Well look, you're asking me to own up to something when, if she now comes out and says it's me, she's going to have to say that she lied in her book."
McNEILAGE: But that could be f*** all to her, Tam.
SHERIDAN: If you let me take it to (inaudible) conclusion because it might be f*** all to her but it's no' f*** all in a court of law. In a court of law, she's made a c*** of herself.
In a court of law she's said one thing in a newspaper article, one thing in a book, which I've had checked out.
She's...throughout her book, she's talked about how everything is true.
So I say to Alan and Keith that, what I want to do is to face it down. I think they've got f*** all on me.
I think if they had anything on me they'd have used it long before now.
Next, he confirms his intention to lie, saying he'll fight on unless given "incontrovertible evidence"...
SHERIDAN: George, I've put my hand up and said "mistake", I've put my hand up and said "recklessness", I've put my hand up and said, "you know, in the balance of things, I've made a mistake", right?
I think what's happened to me since, eh, is a wee bit over the top because I feel as though I'm f*****g Julius Caesar, I feel as though I'm getting used as a teabag the now.
I ask, eh, I ask Alan and Keith to give me the opportunity to see it down and I say to them: "I guarantee you if I am presented with incontrovertible evidence — video tapes, CCTV, something of that character — I'll put my hand up and say ‘I'm sorry'...and I'll walk away.
"But I'm no' prepared to give in to f*****g bullying because that's what the News of the World, in my opinion, is doing right now — f*****g bullying. They have been told it's me but they can't prove it."
Alan (inaudible) disagrees, and says that he wants to talk to a few others about it. I said: "What do you mean talk to a few others about it?"
My biggest worry here is you know about it, he knows about it, I know about it and there's three or four others who I trust impeccably know about it. I say to him: "Look, fine, if you want. I disagree but fine."
Sheridan's fury surfaces as he tells McNeilage about the meeting called to discuss his sex life...
SHERIDAN: I get a phone call on the Wednesday or Thursday, eh, can I come to a meeting on Friday morning?
"What's the meeting for?"
"It's a meeting of as many executive members as possible."
"How, what's happened?"
"Well, we want to have a meeting about this."
"So who have you told?"
Nine people have been told. Nine f*****g people, including Carolyn Leckie, including, you know, Rosie Kane, including f*****g Catriona Grant, people who, politically, I've got f*****g problems with and have had for a long time, who don't particularly like me anyway.
And I say: "Eh, it's a Thursday night, I'm going to a Cathcart Branch meeting up in Castlemilk."
Alan's on the phone: "I want you to come to this meeting the morrow."
"What for?"
"I've had a word with these executive members and they all agree with me that you should admit to it."
So I f*****g blew the top then, I'm, I'm now p***** off that I'm f*****g getting people talking about me behind my back, people I don't trust and everything else.
So I say to him: "Why do you want me to come to the meeting, then?"
"Eh, so we can try and convince you..."
"Well, you've tried to convince me already. You've already convinced all these other people. You've obviously decided what should happen to me. I think it's a f*****g disgrace what you've done. You've went..."
And then we had a bit of an argument about it and he starts saying: "You've hogged the limelight for far too long, you've been in the spotlight. You think you're beyond reproach."
Things which I was saying to myself, "oh, wait a wee minute, what's f*****g going on here?" I'm getting really, now suspicious, so I say: "F*** it, I'm no' coming to the f*****g meeting."
Sheridan now tells how fellow MSP Colin Fox phoned to discuss the growing crisis...
SHERIDAN: First, this is the only other guy that's phoned me now. Says he's wanted to get my side of the story, he's heard Alan say what he's got to say, would it not be worthwhile meeting?
I says: "Well wait a wee minute Colin, Alan's told me that everybody agrees with him.
"So you're asking me to come to a meeting where everybody's already made up their minds."
He tries to convince me that everybody hasn't made up their mind yet. At the very least he hasn't made up his mind.
McNeilage explains that Baldassara is angry because he already KNEW the truth about Sheridan and had predicted it would come out into the open...
McNEILAGE: I think he's p***** off, Tam. Do you know how? I think he's p***** off because everything's now all surfacing, everything's now all surfacing that we f*****g warned you about f*****g years ago, right?
SHERIDAN: Fine, fine.
McNEILAGE: It's spilled milk and it's done, mate.
Sheridan goes on to explain what happened in advance of the committee meeting of November 9, 2004...
SHERIDAN: Wait a wee minute. I can tell you that. Tuesday, I'm going through on the train to, ehm, Edinburgh. Phone call from Allison Kane.
"Eh, Tommy, are you going to this EC meeting tonight?"
"What EC meeting are you talking about?"
I've been phoning people on the Monday not able to get anybody to get back to me. Fiz (Felicity Garvie, Sheridan's Parliamentary Assistant) never got back to me, Keith never got back to me, nobody's speaking to me.
"There's a special EC been called the night." First I've heard of it. I'm on the 11 o'clock train through to Edinburgh — sorry, I'm on the 10 o'clock train — I'm going through for the group meeting at half 11. First I've heard of it.
"Oh right, oh sorry, eh, there's a special EC on the night."
Okay, phone Colin. "What's all this about a special EC meeting that I don't know anything about?"
"Aye Tommy, sorry, aye, Allan Green should have told you yesterday. We've called, Alan McCombes has called a special EC meeting. He wants to put a motion that you should resign from the party. Sorry, resign from the convener..."
McNEILAGE: On the basis of stories, of the stories that have come out and...
SHERIDAN: On the basis of what they know. I says: "F*** sake, that's great, you're going to have a meeting that I don't even know about."
Meanwhile, I've arranged to go and see Lynne and Carol (Sheridan's sisters). They've no' seen the scan (Sheridan's wife Gail was then pregnant with the couple's first child).
The scan's a week old. They're f*****g angry that they've no' got a chance to see it. I've arranged to go and see them that night.
I says: "I'm going to my sisters' the night, f*** sake."
"Tommy, I'd appreciate if you could, if you could come to this meeting. I really would appreciate it."
I says: "Well fine."
He says: "But Frances and I want to see you this afternoon as well. We've cancelled the group meeting. Frances and I want to meet you."
Sheridan then talks about the meeting with fellow MSPs Colin Fox and Frances Curran...
SHERIDAN: We go round to a hotel, round the corner from the Parliament. Frances is sitting there. Colin's sitting there. I says: "Right, so what's happening?"
Frances: "Well I might as well get straight to the point, Tommy. I want your letter of resignation."
This is Frances who...who, you know, I've been, I've known for so long. She's no' spoke to me. She's no' spoke to me ever about this.
She's no' phoned me or f*** all. I want your letter of resignation! I says: "That's a cracking way to start the meeting Frances. Do I get to speak or is this just your opinion?"
"Well, we've decided, we've, we've met, we've decided."
I says: "So you've met and you've decided? It's just as well I didnae bother coming to any meetings, eh, because obviously your minds are all made up."
"Well, that's, that's the way it is."
Colin then intervenes, says: "Well, wait a wee minute, Frances, because I would actually appreciate if Tommy could get to say how he thinks we should approach it instead of just a resignation letter (inaudible) but I've no' made up my mind," he says.
So I tell them that I've been absolutely stupid, I've made a mistake, etc etc. I say to them: "If I'm presented with incontrovertible evidence, I walk away, I resign, I don't bring the party down. Ehm, I bring myself down and that's, that's just what happens."
I do say to them that the News of the World makes a living out of f*****g salacious stories about people.
The News of the World was f*****g involved with, you know, Scargill's paying his mortgage, etc, etc
McNEILAGE: I remember that
SHERIDAN: Everything, right? But no, they want my resignation, they want me to come to that meeting that night to explain myself.
Sheridan refers to Highland SSP organiser Duncan Rowan, who had already told the News of the World that Sheridan had an affair with Katrine Trolle...
SHERIDAN: And this is where I make the big mistake.
A f*****g huge mistake. Humungous f*****g mistake.
I go to the meeting. I go in. It's a room. The front room of the centre.
There's 19 people round a f*****g circle, sitting on desks, sitting on chairs. The atmosphere you could have cut it with a f*****g knife, man. Cut it with a knife.
Duncan f*****g shaking, shaking. f*****g (inaudible).
I then make the biggest mistake of my life by confessing something in front of 19 f*****g, what am I doing confessing in front of these c****?
C**** like this are telling me about how best to come forward and f*****g put my hand up, right?
Wait a wee minute now, let me finish the story, because then I do say my piece and I say what I want to do.
I say: "I'll walk away, I'll resign or if you would rather I stayed on until February and I stand down then I've got a baby coming anyway, I'm going to have a change in my life anyway, so if it makes sense stand down in February, blah blah blah.
"What I don't think would look good is if I walk away now.
"It'll look as though we're panicked. It'll look as though I've been sacked, blah blah blah."
Duncan makes a contribution. Hysterical.
"Tommy, I, I want to tell you there's a woman in a hospital bed the night. She could die the night.
"She's taken an overdose because she's been harassed by News of the World journalists outside her door, parked outside her door for days.
"They have been saying that she must admit an affair with you and she's taken an overdose.
She's in the hospital. I've checked and she's in the hospital, right, and I've had three phone calls.
"Her family say they're going to kill me. If she dies, they're going to kill me."
By the way, the meeting's already supercharged. Duncan's giving it f*****g laldy, bursts into tears. (inaudible) walks out the meeting.
Two or three people walk out after him. I'm sitting here now — I'm the bad b******.
Apparently I've put a lassie in hospital. Apparently I've put Duncan Rowan's life in danger because he's getting his life threatened.
‘He's told them about this affair'
What we now realise, of course, is Duncan's been taken for a f*****g kipper. The lassie is getting paid by the News of the World. The lassie has worked with the News of the World. The lassie s****** Duncan.
McNEILAGE: Has she snared you? Have you f*****g...
SHERIDAN: Did I? George I've never met her. I've never f*****g met the lassie. Right? Never met the lassie.
That summer there this f*****g lassie comes round the party.
Duncan's nae Lothario, he's nae f*****g stud but that lassie, you know, makes it plain that she's into him, s**** him, according to Stevie Arnott, he's smitten by her.
She then suddenly breaks it off a few weeks ago then contacts him two weeks ago, threatening to take her own life.
"Duncan, what's, there's something going on.
"Can you tell me about Tommy Sheridan because the News of the World say that I'm having an affair with him. They're saying I must admit to it."
What does Duncan do? Duncan comes to the meeting.
I don't know before that he's told a few people, particularly the Leckies of the world, he's told them about this affair, right?
They're all sitting there thinking I've had this affair. You've just asked me, reasonably enough, you've just asked me...
McNEILAGE: (inaudible) I know what f*****g like you are (inaudible).
Sheridan then continues to deny the substance of a News of the World story concerning Fiona McGuire...
SHERIDAN: If you did read it, you'd know it's s****.
Would I take somebody out for a meal?
Would I f*****g want somebody walking over me with high heels?
McNEILAGE: I know how they played Khan's story, I know that's not true, at the same time I know there's truth in it.
SHERIDAN: Okay, right fine, okay.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The non-aligned – what do we have in common?
The last 18 months has seen political warfare within the SSP following the decision by Tommy Sheridan to pursue his case for defamation against the NotW.
Two major power groups have emerged
Although most political analysis has been focussed on these two groups there is a third force within the SSP. For want of a better name often referred to as the "non-aligned", who could also be considered the rank and file of the party.
This third group though disorganised is bigger numerically than the SSP-Majority and the ULN combined.
Early indications are that the majority of the non-aligned/rank and file are hostile to the politics of Tommy Sheridan and the SSP-Majority, undoubtedly a major factor in the softening of the rhetoric coming from that camp.
Its one thing to politically organise against competing platforms and factions quite another to be opposed by the rank and file, the SSP-Majority are clear they can capture the party apparatus at the forthcoming National Conference, they are less optimistic about carrying the broader party with them.
This is the reason the SSP-Majority are now talking openly about creating a new socialist party in Scotland. While short term gains within the SSP seem achievable the long term prospects are less favourable.
While bureaucratic manoeuvrings at the top can yield short term gains any leadership must be able to carry the rank and file with them if they hope to have a genuine radical party capable of sustaining grassroots activism within the community and the workplace.
Generals without foot soldiers are little more than table top strategists.
Presumably one of the first political tasks of the SSP-Majority on forming their new party will be to recruit a new rank and file more disposed towards their political views and tactics.
If you can't count on the electorate to vote for you then change the electorate.
Let us explore what the non aligned have in common and see if we can further build our influence within the party – no bad thing, at least for those who believe in rank and file democracy.
I have my own ideas. Through discussion with others I am aware there are a number of concerns the rank and file have with the SSP as currently constituted and many ideas on how to improve matters.
The central tasks I believe are to develop an analysis of Scottish left politics and where it is going along with specific policy recommendations.
Do we have a common set of demands that we wish to see implemented within the SSP and can we tease out those demands through further debate and discussion?
Two major power groups have emerged
- A faction around Tommy Sheridan supported by the Socialist Worker Platform (SWP) and the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) who call themselves the SSP-Majority.
- The United Left Network (ULN) – this group seems more heterogeneous than SSP-Majority and its members currently control much of the party apparatus.
Although most political analysis has been focussed on these two groups there is a third force within the SSP. For want of a better name often referred to as the "non-aligned", who could also be considered the rank and file of the party.
This third group though disorganised is bigger numerically than the SSP-Majority and the ULN combined.
Early indications are that the majority of the non-aligned/rank and file are hostile to the politics of Tommy Sheridan and the SSP-Majority, undoubtedly a major factor in the softening of the rhetoric coming from that camp.
Its one thing to politically organise against competing platforms and factions quite another to be opposed by the rank and file, the SSP-Majority are clear they can capture the party apparatus at the forthcoming National Conference, they are less optimistic about carrying the broader party with them.
This is the reason the SSP-Majority are now talking openly about creating a new socialist party in Scotland. While short term gains within the SSP seem achievable the long term prospects are less favourable.
While bureaucratic manoeuvrings at the top can yield short term gains any leadership must be able to carry the rank and file with them if they hope to have a genuine radical party capable of sustaining grassroots activism within the community and the workplace.
Generals without foot soldiers are little more than table top strategists.
Presumably one of the first political tasks of the SSP-Majority on forming their new party will be to recruit a new rank and file more disposed towards their political views and tactics.
If you can't count on the electorate to vote for you then change the electorate.
Let us explore what the non aligned have in common and see if we can further build our influence within the party – no bad thing, at least for those who believe in rank and file democracy.
I have my own ideas. Through discussion with others I am aware there are a number of concerns the rank and file have with the SSP as currently constituted and many ideas on how to improve matters.
The central tasks I believe are to develop an analysis of Scottish left politics and where it is going along with specific policy recommendations.
Do we have a common set of demands that we wish to see implemented within the SSP and can we tease out those demands through further debate and discussion?
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Attack of the Clones
I'm still working on a more thoughful analysis of the present SSP crisis brought on by the colossal ego and narcissism of Tommy Sheridan, the opportunism of the politically cynical and the robotic followers of self evident lies.
Below are some of my thoughts expressed as an image.
Click on image to view it in all its inglory
Thursday, June 22, 2006
A picture is worth a thousand words
Some great images I found on Flikr
Click images for higher resolution versions
The War on Drugs
Relationships
Supporting family values
The Israeli Palestine conflict
Multi-culturalism
Sex education
Click images for higher resolution versions
The War on Drugs
Relationships
Supporting family values
The Israeli Palestine conflict
Multi-culturalism
Sex education
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Alice and the Looking glass
First published May 21, 2005
Quick tribute to Alice Miller http://www.alice-miller.com, who was the first to reveal the true extent of human suffering and to give us a true glimpse at the staggering level of psychological trauma that exists within human populations. This has profound political consequences for those that dare to think in terms of the individual (Stalin's favourite crime).
Alice gave us this glimpse back in 1981 with her first book Prisoners of Childhood and carved out a path that leads directly to todays ideas of emotional intelligence. Today her voice grows stronger and is heard ever more clearly.
We can and will eliminate all cruelty towards children, especially abuse in early childhood that has such a devasting impact on the developing brain.
As far as I can tell humanity is unique in that so much development continues after birth. Evolution found a bottleneck in the human pelvic girdle combined with the human upright stance. So development continued outside the womb, especially in the first year before language acquisition. A crucial point.
Quick tribute to Alice Miller http://www.alice-miller.com, who was the first to reveal the true extent of human suffering and to give us a true glimpse at the staggering level of psychological trauma that exists within human populations. This has profound political consequences for those that dare to think in terms of the individual (Stalin's favourite crime).
Alice gave us this glimpse back in 1981 with her first book Prisoners of Childhood and carved out a path that leads directly to todays ideas of emotional intelligence. Today her voice grows stronger and is heard ever more clearly.
We can and will eliminate all cruelty towards children, especially abuse in early childhood that has such a devasting impact on the developing brain.
As far as I can tell humanity is unique in that so much development continues after birth. Evolution found a bottleneck in the human pelvic girdle combined with the human upright stance. So development continued outside the womb, especially in the first year before language acquisition. A crucial point.
Parecon and the ghost in the machine
First published May 21, 2005
Ive been reading ideas on Parecon http://www.zmag.org/parecon/indexnew.htm for a while now. It occurred to me a few years back that human beings working within a Parecon as described by Michael Albert and his crew will require considerable emotional intelligence for it to work. Hence, while a powerful conceptual framework, it seemed utopian to me.
Of course another way of saying this is that Parecon plus psychology will give more powerful insights into self organising economic communities. Who knows the secrets of the black magic box?
Ive been reading ideas on Parecon http://www.zmag.org/parecon/indexnew.htm for a while now. It occurred to me a few years back that human beings working within a Parecon as described by Michael Albert and his crew will require considerable emotional intelligence for it to work. Hence, while a powerful conceptual framework, it seemed utopian to me.
Of course another way of saying this is that Parecon plus psychology will give more powerful insights into self organising economic communities. Who knows the secrets of the black magic box?
When the lights go on
First published May 21, 2005
In the past a spectre has haunted Europe.
The spectre has varied according to ideological belief systems but all such beliefs have led resolutely back to the state, especially with regard to the economic activity of humans living within it's geographical reach.
Chomsky has consistently argued over the years that free markets as normally understood have never existed, except perhaps briefly. Yet they do seem like a good idea, what the heck is wrong with trading?
Or for that matter what is wrong with people freely associating in self organising economic communities?
Why can't we coexist together? Or even trade with each other?
I can't think of one good reason not to.
In the past a spectre has haunted Europe.
The spectre has varied according to ideological belief systems but all such beliefs have led resolutely back to the state, especially with regard to the economic activity of humans living within it's geographical reach.
Chomsky has consistently argued over the years that free markets as normally understood have never existed, except perhaps briefly. Yet they do seem like a good idea, what the heck is wrong with trading?
Or for that matter what is wrong with people freely associating in self organising economic communities?
Why can't we coexist together? Or even trade with each other?
I can't think of one good reason not to.
The Age of Aquarius
First published May 21, 2005
This is my tribute to good friends who kept me sane during difficult years.
There are basically two type of spiritual communities.
Managed spiritual communities and Self organising spiritual communities.
Throughout the world Self organising spiritual communities are on the ascendancy. An inexorable and profound cultural development on a global scale.
I won't go into all the features they have in common. Most people are already familiar with the concepts when they stop to think about it.
This phenomenon is exactly what a knowledgable person would expect to complement an emerging global culture.
This is a hot ticket item for intellectual study but here are some of the observations I have made :
1) Spiritual healing is at the centre of it.
2) Core practices within this movement exactly parallel psychotherapeutic techniques once the language is deconstructed.
3) Millions of people are actively engaged in it.
4) The movement is remarkably resistant to political domination.
It's time to honour our spiritual friends and engage with them in a language of respect.
This is my tribute to good friends who kept me sane during difficult years.
There are basically two type of spiritual communities.
Managed spiritual communities and Self organising spiritual communities.
Throughout the world Self organising spiritual communities are on the ascendancy. An inexorable and profound cultural development on a global scale.
I won't go into all the features they have in common. Most people are already familiar with the concepts when they stop to think about it.
This phenomenon is exactly what a knowledgable person would expect to complement an emerging global culture.
This is a hot ticket item for intellectual study but here are some of the observations I have made :
1) Spiritual healing is at the centre of it.
2) Core practices within this movement exactly parallel psychotherapeutic techniques once the language is deconstructed.
3) Millions of people are actively engaged in it.
4) The movement is remarkably resistant to political domination.
It's time to honour our spiritual friends and engage with them in a language of respect.
State of Psychology
First published May 21, 2005
Currently the state projects a mixed and confusing psychological image upon the population.
Sometimes punitive, sometimes authoratarian, sometimes authoratative though seldom the latter these days hence the political crisis.
Voices from the past, Neo-cons, Neo -liberals (the usual suspects) demand ever increasing punitive measures. Meanwhile, psychologically speaking, the population marches in the opposite direction.
There is no force on earth that can stop this.
Currently the state projects a mixed and confusing psychological image upon the population.
Sometimes punitive, sometimes authoratarian, sometimes authoratative though seldom the latter these days hence the political crisis.
Voices from the past, Neo-cons, Neo -liberals (the usual suspects) demand ever increasing punitive measures. Meanwhile, psychologically speaking, the population marches in the opposite direction.
There is no force on earth that can stop this.
Children of the Revolution
First published May 22, 2005
There is chaos in the classrooms of the Anglo-American bubble.
Herded within these structures are children from 3 different family models.
1) Punitive family model
2) Authoratarian family model
3) Natural family model
The educators are overwhelmingly from family model (2)
Children from family model (1) are habituated to being controlled by physical violence which educators from family model (2) are forbidden to use.
Children from family model (3) are habituated to being self directing, supported by emotionally intelligent parents. Teachers from family model (2) reflexively project their authoratarian mind set onto children. This mindset is fundamentally repellant to children from family model (3).
Hence the chaos.
The children from natural family backgrounds are the children of the revolution. Long live the revolution.
There is chaos in the classrooms of the Anglo-American bubble.
Herded within these structures are children from 3 different family models.
1) Punitive family model
2) Authoratarian family model
3) Natural family model
The educators are overwhelmingly from family model (2)
Children from family model (1) are habituated to being controlled by physical violence which educators from family model (2) are forbidden to use.
Children from family model (3) are habituated to being self directing, supported by emotionally intelligent parents. Teachers from family model (2) reflexively project their authoratarian mind set onto children. This mindset is fundamentally repellant to children from family model (3).
Hence the chaos.
The children from natural family backgrounds are the children of the revolution. Long live the revolution.
Where now for Captain America?
First published May 19, 2005
This article is dedicated to the 6 Billion human beings living outside the Anglo American cultural bubble, and also to the many millions within it for whom the lights have gone on recently.
If your reading this I'm going to assume you have heard of emotional intelligence. If not then google it http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=DVXA,DVXA:2005-10,DVXA:en&q=emotional+intelligence
As everyone knows, lurking at the heart of American power is a frightened bewildered population, mainly white, who have enjoyed privilege and power which they now fear losing. We've all read the hate mail.
Interestingly, Corporate America has discovered that emotional intelligence is a vital part of efficient workgroups. There's a whole bunch of stuff written on this: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=DVXA%2CDVXA%3A2005-10%2CDVXA%3Aen&q=emotional+intelligence+corporate&btnG=Search
Let me boil it down to a scenario:
Imagine an efficient corporate workgroup composed of emotionally intelligent workers. There's a couple of older heads to give experience, a couple of younger ones to challenge orthodoxy and specialist members of the team according to the task in hand.
Then into the midst of this plunk down Captain America. Get the picture?
Is he going to insult the Gay team leader? Believe that the science advisor can't possibly be right because she's a woman? Persistently try to sell bibles to the younger team members? Is convinced that the Asian team member got his position because he is Asian. The list goes on.
Anyway what happens to Captain America?
If he's lucky he'll be put on state courses at great expense to help rid him of his socially and economically disfiguring prejudices or, more likely, will simply be excluded from better paid jobs.
Whereupon he will complain that he is a discriminated against minority and it's everybody else's fault except his.
This article is dedicated to the 6 Billion human beings living outside the Anglo American cultural bubble, and also to the many millions within it for whom the lights have gone on recently.
If your reading this I'm going to assume you have heard of emotional intelligence. If not then google it http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=DVXA,DVXA:2005-10,DVXA:en&q=emotional+intelligence
As everyone knows, lurking at the heart of American power is a frightened bewildered population, mainly white, who have enjoyed privilege and power which they now fear losing. We've all read the hate mail.
Interestingly, Corporate America has discovered that emotional intelligence is a vital part of efficient workgroups. There's a whole bunch of stuff written on this: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=DVXA%2CDVXA%3A2005-10%2CDVXA%3Aen&q=emotional+intelligence+corporate&btnG=Search
Let me boil it down to a scenario:
Imagine an efficient corporate workgroup composed of emotionally intelligent workers. There's a couple of older heads to give experience, a couple of younger ones to challenge orthodoxy and specialist members of the team according to the task in hand.
Then into the midst of this plunk down Captain America. Get the picture?
Is he going to insult the Gay team leader? Believe that the science advisor can't possibly be right because she's a woman? Persistently try to sell bibles to the younger team members? Is convinced that the Asian team member got his position because he is Asian. The list goes on.
Anyway what happens to Captain America?
If he's lucky he'll be put on state courses at great expense to help rid him of his socially and economically disfiguring prejudices or, more likely, will simply be excluded from better paid jobs.
Whereupon he will complain that he is a discriminated against minority and it's everybody else's fault except his.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Links
Politics
Znet: Huge site with thousands of articles on radical politics. Lots of blogs including one by Noam Chomsky.
Znet: Huge site with thousands of articles on radical politics. Lots of blogs including one by Noam Chomsky.
Democracy Now!: National, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 350 stations in North America. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite television (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Link TV ch. 375); as a "podcast," and on the internet.
Rockridge Institute: Applies the discipline of cognitive linguistics to reveal the underlying frames and assumptions that structure American political discourse. Well worth visiting, cognitive linguistics is a necessary tool in modern politics.
We: We is a fast-paced 64 minute documentary that covers the world politics of power, war, corporations, deception and exploitation.
We visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous
We visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous
Children's Rights
Alice Miller: Alice Miller, PhD in philosophy, psychology and sociology, as well as a researcher on childhood and author of twelve books, translated into thirty languages. Highly recommended.
The Natural Child Project: "Our vision is a world in which all children are treated with dignity, respect, understanding, and compassion. In such a world, every child can grow into adulthood with a generous capacity for love and trust. Our society has no more urgent task."
Aims to speed the end of corporal punishment of children across the world.
Children are unbeatable!: "Children are unbeatable!" is an Alliance of more than 350 organisations and projects, including professional and religious bodies, as well as many prominent individuals. It was formed in 1998 and campaigns for children to have the same legal protection against being hit as adults and promotes positive, non-violent discipline.
Home Start: Home-Start's informal and friendly support for families with young children provides a lifeline to thousands of parents and children in over 337 communities across the UK and with forces families in Germany and Cyprus.
Also visit Home Start International
Saturday, June 17, 2006
The SSP: The last 18 Months and a rapidly changing society
Scottish Socialist Party
First published 4th June 2006
Clearly the political experiment that is the SSP has stalled.
Platforms and loose coalitions of comrades are at each others throats.
Bullying is rife and the SSP has revealed itself to be a party trapped in a cultural time warp where little men act as if they are Red Clydesiders. They use the rhetoric of class war to advance their own position against the rest of us less impressed by Machismo posturing.
Patriarchy within the party is self-evident and the passivity of the women's network revealed. Some women comrades are either passive in the face of male power or actively support it as we have seen with the SWP whose woman comrades support the latest SWP line.
Cliques abound and factional in-fighting leaves the broad membership from powerful participation in political discussion. Having your voice heard in this party if you are not a member of the "in crowd" is difficult, most members try but fail.
Elitism among progressive comrades is also obvious. The most progressive within the party rely heavily on contacts with the Scottish intelligentsia, paid social activists and assorted media stars to bolster their position internally.
Discrimination against comrades with disabilities is also obvious and the disability network exiled to the outer reaches of the party.
Grand strategists, the magicians of knowledge occupy the centre and progressive knowledge and ideas meant to empower others used instead as a means of intellectualising and justifying special privileges for an elite few. Political privilege and patronage entrenched, not for financial gain as in other parties but for personal gain never the less. It's empowering being heard and valued is it not?
Elitism, intellectual hubris, self-deceit and deceit towards others are everywhere.
The clarion calls to be "positive" are already being heard. This or that class warrior or earnest revolutionary points excitedly towards the "working class" or the"community" and urge us all "to get out there" and put our differences behind us.
Any notion of self-analysis is attacked as being "negative" and one can well understand why. There are some members who will not fare well with introspection. Deep in their hearts, or more accurately their minds lurk the shadows of a previous culture now extinct.
They are yesterday's psychology in today's party with emotional attitudes towards themselves and others evolved in a patriarchal and bullying culture and family. These internalised lessons are broadcast unconsciously. At least unconsciously to some, though not to the rest of us who look on in awe as radical fossils lacking all but the most rudimentary self-awareness walk among us.
The various Marxist platforms that started the SSP to create a mass party often attack others seen somehow less socialist.
Members without a Marxist pedigree are viewed with suspicion and seen as potential counterrevolutionaries needing urgent conversion to the one true faith for fear ill disciplined ideas pollute the party. If they cannot be so converted then excluded so the contagion does not spread to "good" contacts beloved of Marxist cliques.
Around them some of the nonaligned hover hoping that they too will be well regarded and allowed into hallowed meetings where the great and the good meet and decide what happens for the rest of us.
Yet a mass party by definition would have more nonaligned members than Marxists.The platforms would have to work within a political environment where collectively they are a small minority. This is not to their taste and in good part is one reason the SSP experiment has stalled.
The culture and psychology gap is also a generational gap. Though some, notably Cumnock branch perhaps others, have found new ways to work with the younger generation. In Edinburgh the older generation unconsciously patronise young people who are groomed in the attitudes and politics of an older generation by platform members.
Already ominous attitudes are emerging among the most progressive of the younger generation who regard the SSP as "bossy" or authoritarian, intent on leading and not listening. The sexual dysfunction so obvious in the older generation only adds to the impression the SSP are old fashioned and out of touch with modern attitudes.
The "swinging" sexuality of middle-aged men and women fatigued by endless bad relationships bewilders progressive young people who have a healthier attitude towards sex than those brought up under the unforgiving shadow of sexual repression linked to guilt and shame.
The SSP stands revealed as old fashioned, unable to make sense of a modernising Scottish society experiencing fast cultural and technological change. Globally, the emergence of a genuine international; antiauthoritarian, participatory and democratic in nature forces diverse political ideas into Scottish political orthodoxy.
The Internet is part of this revolution yet the SSP devotes most of its communications resources to print journalism just as traditional print organisations are transferring to the web.
The younger generation are comfortable with these new technologies yet the SSP cannot collectively find a way to use them to set up modern 21st century communications. Whatever rationalisations offered this self-evident truth is a further sign of our inability to cope with rapid modernisation.
Improvised attempts by empowered members working alone or in small groups is further evidence of the gap between self-appointed elites and the broader membership, judged not sufficiently interested or enthusiastic or knowledgeable to help in modernising our communications. This elitism hidden behind a welter of accusations, recriminations and technological aggrandisement leaves members passive and techno elites point to this passivity as proof that we should continue as before.
Authoritarianism and bullying is endemic within the SSP. Inherited from the past this authoritarianism undermines the entire Scottish left and progressive movement as we stumble unsteadily towards a different society radically different from the one we grew up in not that long ago.
The SSP has currently stalled. To move forward we need to examine ourselves intelligently and thoroughly.
Nonaligned members will face hostility from ingrained authoritarians unable to adapt to modernity and reflexively suspicious of the new. The bullying and harassment will not always be obvious. Members in favourable positions huddled around this or that powerful figure within the SSP, too needy for recognition will lead the certain attacks.
Grassroots democracy will prevail whether within or outside the SSP. The old culture will gradually recede within the society and its political parties will reflect those changes. The SSP will adapt or perish.
Meanwhile a new radical politics is emerging which does not lend itself to descriptions from a bygone era whether Marx and his contemporary critics or even later thinkers like Reich and Fromm.
The discussions around the progressive platform and the events of the last 18 months prove this. For those trapped in the past no amount of text will convince them.
Scottish progressive politics is in transition. Authoritarians everywhere are on the run. The efforts by Tommy Sheridan and hangers-on are reactionary last-gasp efforts to stop the unavoidable. Though they may gain temporary success backed by media stars like George Galloway their victory will be pyrrhic.
First published 4th June 2006
Clearly the political experiment that is the SSP has stalled.
Platforms and loose coalitions of comrades are at each others throats.
Bullying is rife and the SSP has revealed itself to be a party trapped in a cultural time warp where little men act as if they are Red Clydesiders. They use the rhetoric of class war to advance their own position against the rest of us less impressed by Machismo posturing.
Patriarchy within the party is self-evident and the passivity of the women's network revealed. Some women comrades are either passive in the face of male power or actively support it as we have seen with the SWP whose woman comrades support the latest SWP line.
Cliques abound and factional in-fighting leaves the broad membership from powerful participation in political discussion. Having your voice heard in this party if you are not a member of the "in crowd" is difficult, most members try but fail.
Elitism among progressive comrades is also obvious. The most progressive within the party rely heavily on contacts with the Scottish intelligentsia, paid social activists and assorted media stars to bolster their position internally.
Discrimination against comrades with disabilities is also obvious and the disability network exiled to the outer reaches of the party.
Grand strategists, the magicians of knowledge occupy the centre and progressive knowledge and ideas meant to empower others used instead as a means of intellectualising and justifying special privileges for an elite few. Political privilege and patronage entrenched, not for financial gain as in other parties but for personal gain never the less. It's empowering being heard and valued is it not?
Elitism, intellectual hubris, self-deceit and deceit towards others are everywhere.
The clarion calls to be "positive" are already being heard. This or that class warrior or earnest revolutionary points excitedly towards the "working class" or the"community" and urge us all "to get out there" and put our differences behind us.
Any notion of self-analysis is attacked as being "negative" and one can well understand why. There are some members who will not fare well with introspection. Deep in their hearts, or more accurately their minds lurk the shadows of a previous culture now extinct.
They are yesterday's psychology in today's party with emotional attitudes towards themselves and others evolved in a patriarchal and bullying culture and family. These internalised lessons are broadcast unconsciously. At least unconsciously to some, though not to the rest of us who look on in awe as radical fossils lacking all but the most rudimentary self-awareness walk among us.
The various Marxist platforms that started the SSP to create a mass party often attack others seen somehow less socialist.
Members without a Marxist pedigree are viewed with suspicion and seen as potential counterrevolutionaries needing urgent conversion to the one true faith for fear ill disciplined ideas pollute the party. If they cannot be so converted then excluded so the contagion does not spread to "good" contacts beloved of Marxist cliques.
Around them some of the nonaligned hover hoping that they too will be well regarded and allowed into hallowed meetings where the great and the good meet and decide what happens for the rest of us.
Yet a mass party by definition would have more nonaligned members than Marxists.The platforms would have to work within a political environment where collectively they are a small minority. This is not to their taste and in good part is one reason the SSP experiment has stalled.
The culture and psychology gap is also a generational gap. Though some, notably Cumnock branch perhaps others, have found new ways to work with the younger generation. In Edinburgh the older generation unconsciously patronise young people who are groomed in the attitudes and politics of an older generation by platform members.
Already ominous attitudes are emerging among the most progressive of the younger generation who regard the SSP as "bossy" or authoritarian, intent on leading and not listening. The sexual dysfunction so obvious in the older generation only adds to the impression the SSP are old fashioned and out of touch with modern attitudes.
The "swinging" sexuality of middle-aged men and women fatigued by endless bad relationships bewilders progressive young people who have a healthier attitude towards sex than those brought up under the unforgiving shadow of sexual repression linked to guilt and shame.
The SSP stands revealed as old fashioned, unable to make sense of a modernising Scottish society experiencing fast cultural and technological change. Globally, the emergence of a genuine international; antiauthoritarian, participatory and democratic in nature forces diverse political ideas into Scottish political orthodoxy.
The Internet is part of this revolution yet the SSP devotes most of its communications resources to print journalism just as traditional print organisations are transferring to the web.
The younger generation are comfortable with these new technologies yet the SSP cannot collectively find a way to use them to set up modern 21st century communications. Whatever rationalisations offered this self-evident truth is a further sign of our inability to cope with rapid modernisation.
Improvised attempts by empowered members working alone or in small groups is further evidence of the gap between self-appointed elites and the broader membership, judged not sufficiently interested or enthusiastic or knowledgeable to help in modernising our communications. This elitism hidden behind a welter of accusations, recriminations and technological aggrandisement leaves members passive and techno elites point to this passivity as proof that we should continue as before.
Authoritarianism and bullying is endemic within the SSP. Inherited from the past this authoritarianism undermines the entire Scottish left and progressive movement as we stumble unsteadily towards a different society radically different from the one we grew up in not that long ago.
The SSP has currently stalled. To move forward we need to examine ourselves intelligently and thoroughly.
Nonaligned members will face hostility from ingrained authoritarians unable to adapt to modernity and reflexively suspicious of the new. The bullying and harassment will not always be obvious. Members in favourable positions huddled around this or that powerful figure within the SSP, too needy for recognition will lead the certain attacks.
Grassroots democracy will prevail whether within or outside the SSP. The old culture will gradually recede within the society and its political parties will reflect those changes. The SSP will adapt or perish.
Meanwhile a new radical politics is emerging which does not lend itself to descriptions from a bygone era whether Marx and his contemporary critics or even later thinkers like Reich and Fromm.
The discussions around the progressive platform and the events of the last 18 months prove this. For those trapped in the past no amount of text will convince them.
Scottish progressive politics is in transition. Authoritarians everywhere are on the run. The efforts by Tommy Sheridan and hangers-on are reactionary last-gasp efforts to stop the unavoidable. Though they may gain temporary success backed by media stars like George Galloway their victory will be pyrrhic.
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