People's Charter

I spent about an hour this afternoon collecting signatures in the centre of Glasgow for the Peoples Charter.

It can be hard going trying to get people interested at all in politics these days but we gave it a pretty good go, and the response we did get was largely positive apart from a couple of the hangers on from the Orange walk that had happened earlier.

Anyway if you havent signed already please do and spread the word.

Climate Change and the Labour Movement

The following is a collection of notes made at an event held on Saturday 20 June at the STUC building in Glasgow on the trade union and socialist perspectives on climate change. I reproduce them here in their original form to give a broad picture of the event and hope to add my own thoughts in more detail some time in the future.

Stephen Boyd, Assistant Secretary Scottish Trades Union Congress -

climate change top 5 priority for STUC
we have to build environment into fight for jobs
importance of a just transition to green jobs
low carbon industrial strategy
offensive idea of Pentland firth as 'Saudi Arabia of marine energy'
inability of capital to support green investment
planning departments under resourced
some organisations in the Stop Climate Chaos coalition fundamentally opposed to trade union agenda
how targets are achieved not just targets in themselves

Richard Leonard, Political Officer GMB-

need for a change in the economic order not just improvements for workers within existing economic order
unions need to act politically as well as industrially
fundamental changes in values necessary as well as legislation etc.
need to reclaim the state and the market
redistribution of power
we shouldn't define people by their occupation

General discussion facilitated by Matthew Crighton from Edinburgh City Unison -

need for a network capacity on climate change within labour movement
why is there a lack of engagement/co-operation on the Left on this issue?
population growth
consumerism
taking issue forward, clarify half a dozen or so key issues as a priority in Scotland

People's Charter Meeting

There will be a meeting next Sunday 21st June in the STUC 333 Woodlands Road at 2.pm to discuss taking the People's Charter forward.

The meeting will be addressed by Elaine Smith MSP and Mike Kirby of Unison who supported the Charter forcefully at the STUC congress.

The bottom line

It's been some time since I last blogged due to the necessary inconveniences of jury service last week but I'm back to the coalface this evening to share my thoughts once again.

Since my last post there have been yet more revelations about the expenses claims of MPs from all parties and unless you wish to be regarded as a complete maverick , or just a bit of a tosser in general , you have to admit that it is not just some bit of scandal mongering by the right-wing press but actually does matter, is based on the reality that a hell of a lot of what has gone on under this system is outrageous, and if nothing else that the public consider it important enough that it may well have a significant effect on democracy in this country for some time to come yet. Whether we like it or not. I like it because I think people should give a shit about this.

It's not that simple though, no matter how much we wish it to be. I would give credit to most people and indeed most political activists like myself whatever party they come from and those from none for being horrified at the arrogance, unaccountability, waste of taxpayers' money and institutionalised corruption that has been exposed. Where I would draw the line is at the Daily Telegraph. Much as their journalistic endeavour may be admired by those who wish to admire one of the most rabid hyenas of the capitalist press taking the moral high ground over anything to do with dodgy financial affairs I cannot. It does not make what they are doing without it's uses though.

I'm one pissed off Labour Party member and taxpayer

What a week comrades and I don't normally get personal but let's make an exception because I feel like it and I'm not a thoroughbred Vulcan.

Let's put the cards on the table right away shall we? Any MP who's fiddled the expenses system or used it to make a profit even within the rules. Particularly Labour MPs though. Despite my realistic expectations of those who I thought are still meant to be tribunes of the working class in Parliament I still expected better than this of them. These are members of my own party doing something which if I did in the real world with unemployment benefits if I was actually fortunate enough to receive them then at best I would be a cheap little political target for New Labour and at worst I could end up in jail.

Any behaviour of any MP to milk the system is contemptible. No it is not as serious as war or poverty and yes it's not just MPs who make outrageous expenses claims. That is for those of us who have been paying for the manure and the mortgages to use as perspective. It is not for Lord Foulkes to pontificate it as a political ping pong ball to protect his pals in interviews on the BBC or Stephen Fry to tell us we are all getting worked up over nothing. It does matter and it needs to be cleaned up now.

There's a time and a place

I've always envisioned Mayday to be an ecumenical event where socialists of different hues and of all parties and none can come together and celebrate what they have in common so in a sense I'm facing a slight conflict of interests after what happened at the Glasgow celebrations of International Workers Day yesterday at the Old Fruitmarket.

I'd already noticed a somewhat muted atmosphere to the proceedings when John Kelly from the Communication Workers Union got up to make a speech in the capacity of election agent to Margaret Curran MSP who wasn't able to make her scheduled appearance and speech due to illness.What he proceeded to do was one of the most inappropriate , insensitive and politically stupid things I have had the misfortune to witness personally.

If you were there I'm sure you know what I mean. If you weren't then count yourself lucky because he making such a party-political partisan speech on behalf of the Labour Party in the manner he did in the current circumstances both locally particularly because of school closures and nationally because of almost everything you can think of got the reception that could have been predicted. Even if you allow for that factor and accept it was an appropriate or wise thing to do in principle it was executed so badly it descended into the depths of self-parody. Jokes fell flat, confrontational remarks provoked anger, and the general tone was one of defiance in the face of public opinion.

It did not make things better for Labour it made them worse. We need to do better.

The position with regard to conditions and circumstances

This has nothing to do with what the Labour Party should be about.

What we are seeing here is bitter Blairites whingeing about anything remotely progressive and Gordon Brown's policies because that's what they do and that's how they see the world. I think the 50p tax band is a woefully inadequate measure but I obviously come at this from a different tradition than the three stooges do.

This also has to do with posturing and positioning for the leadership and direction of the Labour Party when the cumulative effect of Brown's marginally to the left of the Blair era's policies loses us the next General Election. Well grow up and let's try not to lose it instead. We don't have to. We can shelve privatisations and bailouts without strings and deregulation. There's still time. Just.

Oh and good riddance to Michelle Moan.