sions and the lessons that were inplatform's policies. A meeting called at Saturday lunchtime drew 70 such The polarisation around the question of democracy paralleled a clear the conference and local governdiscussed quietly enough, but the debate on a Scottish government opened up two different The leadership's position of support for a sovereign Scottish government inside the EEC was vehemently branches and individuals with political experience in the labour movement. Explicitly rejecting the leadership's dream of liberal Scandinaviantype Scotland, delegates like Dougie The issue of oil exploitation is at the centre of the debate in the scottis! meeting declared its refusal to re cognise the expulsions and its intention to appeal at all levels of the SLP from branch to NOC. Reconvene In addition they decided to set up a steering committee, declared that the expelled branches would con tinue in existence, and argued for the reconvening of the SLP -COR points, issued in a statement to the Terence ou 14 November. These press, thus received support from around half of the delegates at the Stirling conference.
It is hazardous to speculate on the aftermath of Stirling. But it possible to say that Jim Sillars has been left with a rump body whose direction is openly nationalist, born in an atmosphere of hysterical anti communism The potential of the now split SLP clearly depends on the success or failure of the left to res pond to these attacks of the Sillars