Socialism not Nationalism' is the slogan of Militant, the paper of the left wing of the Labour Party Young Socialists. message is very nice, out unfortunately nor many poopie are listening. For many of those who do listen it is interpreted as the Labour Party not the SNP Chris Ure in his letter to Red Weekit 9 September makes the same mistake of ignoring the present level of working class consciousness in his attacks on the Scottish Assembly. appears to think that all that is necessary to win socialism is to stick up the programmatic flag and wait for the masses to rally around. Unfortunately, it does not work so easily.
In a period of social crisis, different layers of the population turn in many different directions looking for solutions. Petty bourgeois layers will give expression to al non-class conscious workers and semi-political workers are capable of going up immobilised as they see their traditional leaders becoming open agents of the bourgeoisie.
in such a situation the task for socialists is to break through ine impasse credible way to.ward and that socialism is the answer. I would suggest that these points should be kept in mind when looking at the situation in Scotland:
• Scotland is a nation, but its history is one of close partner ship with England in the exploitation of the Empire.
The Scottish people cererminaton wnich socialists snould suppor and this they reject.
He their prejudices, many roads. Vanguard workers become and show all layers of society that there is democratic right to selfReactionary nationalism as expressed by the Scottish National Party must be fought at every opportunity.
Keeping all these points in mind, it is correct to support the call for the Assembly which 90 per cent of Scots are now in favour of according to opinion polls. enough. The Assembly does not stand aside as a separate issue rom ine workine class strucele Chris Ure is correct that a capitalist Assembly will not bring Socialism. However, the point is that Scottish seen for themselves that a Labour Government will not bring Socialism, but they retain illusions that a Scottish Assembly can tackle "Scotland's problems'. If these illusions are to be dispelled, then the programme to organise workers to defend their living standards' which Chris rightly outlines as necessary must be set in the concrete situation Demanding, for example, that the given the powers to nationalise North Sea oil does not build illusions in a capitalist Assembly. Such a demand exposes the SNP and its campaign for "Scotland's cleariv will not suppon such a cemand. ine cavour ranty is disu exposed, in that despite their control of the Westminster Parliament they have failed to tackle the oil monopolies.
Socialists cannot ignore the rise of nationalism in Scotland They must recognise it for what it is -revolt of the Scottish people. We have to learn how to insert the socialist programme into the revolt of Scottish workers and to open up the road to socialist solutions to ine crisis. capitalism. - ANDREW HARDIE [Glasgow].
However. nis is no Scottish Assembly be LETTERS Worker? the Liberal Party Conference last week. He was making this gener hlack people. does wid have beer
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RED WEEKLY IS PLEASED TO PRINT THREE MORE LETTERS ON THE ISSUES RAISED BY THE RECENT RIGHT TO WORK MARCH TO THE BRIGHTON TUC