Frontline 21 - A Better Scotland is Possible...and a Better Left
This issue of Frontline focuses on a crucial question. Can the left in Scotland unite? Frontline recently hosted a meeting on this topic which brought together participants from several groups. To build on that discussion we asked participants to write for this issue of Frontline outlining their views.
A Better Scotland is Possible… and a Better Left Frontline editor Alister Black reflects on this journal's recent meeting on left unity in Scotland and looks at the challenges ahead.
Socialist Unity - Pushing the rock over the hill? Allan Armstrong, of the Republican Communist Network, and Editorial Board member of Emancipation & Liberation, examines the renewed shoots of socialist unity in Scotland, and some of the remaining pitfalls and possibilities
The SSP and the fight for a Better Left in Scotland Scottish Socialist Party co-spokesperson Colin Fox reflects on the lessons of the rise of the SSP and the way forward for the Scottish left today.
Left Renewal in Scotland - View from the ISN The International Socialist Network is a new group bringing together socialists who have recently left the Socialist Workers Party. In this article Raymond Watt outlines the view of ISN supporters in Scotland concerning the way forward for the left in Scotland.
Out of the Ghetto: why detoxifying the left is the first step to revival Cat Boyd and James Foley are activists in the International Socialist Group and have played leading roles in the Radical Independence Campaign. In this article, which is taken from the book 'Time to Choose' and published online for the first time here, they address the issues around reviving the left in Scotland.
Policy
Europe - What should the left say? Bill Bonnar looks at the choices facing socialists over the referendum on EU membership.
A Marxist Case for an Independent Scotland Eddie Cornock writes on the Marxist arguments for independence.
Democracy, Oppression and Socialists Norman Lockhart of Tweeddale/Borders SSP looks at how the left can best take up the cause of oppressed groups in society
International
Will the real European Left stand up? This article by Murray Smith was written as a contribution to the debate around the Left Unity initiative which followed Ken Loach’s call for a new left party, and in response to a contributor who instead argued for building the left within the Labour Party. Murray is a member of the anti-capitalist party déi Lenk in Luxembourg, and of the Executive Board of the Party of the European Left.
France: One year after Sarkozy’s defeat: an anticapitalist view John Mullen is an activist in the Gauche Anticapitaliste, part of the Front de Gauche (Left Front). In this article he looks at the first year of Socialist Party President, François Hollande.
Culture
Naked: Institutional fear and bodies in public spaces Artists, film makers and academics from Scotland and Argentina recently collaborated on a project which used the case of the Naked Rambler to explore different ideas of ‘nakedness’, and reactions to bodies seen as out of place. Dr Sarah Wilson of the University of Stirling writes in this article about some of the surprising responses to Argentinian filmmaker Syd Krochmalny's project and some of the issues it raises in terms of access to ‘public’ space and the fear and self-censure provoked by risk management practices in the workplace.A New Start for Frontline
Issue 15 of Frontline breaks new ground because we will not be producing a print edition. The Editorial Board has decided to refocus our resources and from now on Frontline will appear solely as a web based journal. Whilst our print edition was widely praised it required a tremendous effort by a small team to produce. The small circulation did not justify the resources expended. Most young people turn to the web as the first port of call when looking for information. There is still a place for print media in socialist political activism, and we don’t rule out producing print editions again in the future. But concentrating on our online presence will enable us to have more regular content and reach a wider audience.
We aim to:
- Produce the web edition of Frontline on a more regular basis
- Make the website more interactive
- Hold regular physical meetings, purely for political discussion, across Scotland beginning with Glasgow and Edinburgh
- Expand the pool of contributors to the journal
Capitalism is experiencing its deepest crisis for a generation whilst the left in Scotland is struggling to find its feet. We believe that more than ever there is a need for a journal that can act as a platform for debate, discussion and analysis.
If you would like to contribute to Frontline, would like to be informed of meetings or can help in any other way then we invite you to get in touch.
Email: frontline@redflag.org.uk
Frontline to be an independent journal (2008)
Statement on future of International Socialist Movement Platform of the SSP (2006)
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