By election updates

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Maryfield used to be a pretty Tory area, unless the boundaries have changed significantly.

That was always my view when I was younger.

[HTG]

Is this Wee Willie a parody account or something?

Of course not. It's Friday afternoon, the weekend is upon us and he's like a lamb skipping round a field. Wait until Monday morning - he'll not be so chirpy then!

[invergowrie arab]

The area has changed though. Not do long a go it used to be one of the sought-after area to have a flat in - certainly outside of the Ferry/West Ferry/Riverside/Downfield areas.

I don't think you could say that now. I lived in Stobbie around 15 years ago and it had already started to change then.Not quite sure why it has changed so much - possibly buy to let and houses of multiple occupancy, a younger demographic, might be having an influence.

I think the transformation owner occupier to private rented sector is exactly what it is.

[Glenconner]

The thing about 'the left' in Scotland is that though the majority were in favour of yes at the referendum a good number would actually say that if 'socialism' could be achieved throughout the uk then they would not really be bothered about the Indy question at all.

The SSP were not in the mainstream of left of labour thinking in Scotland at the time when they were set up as an independence supporting party.

I know a couple of old Stalinists who literally argue that all nationalism leads to fascism and they associate Nicola Sturgeon with Hitler. Literally.

Weeks before the Scottish Referendum i attended a meeting in Nitshill to help promote getting a statue for Mary Barbour the Govan socialist.

Meeting was full of old tankies from the Star Club and retired Labour MPs.

Questions and answers at the end and an elderly gent stood up and gave a John Maclean type line on Scottish Independence.

Admit i'm still reeling at the venom shown by the old Stalinists.

They were the equal of any of the Friday night crew in George Square.

[Emiliano ZaBankie]

Weeks before the Scottish Referendum i attended a meeting in Nitshill to help promote getting a statue for Mary Barbour the Govan socialist.

Meeting was full of old tankies from the Star Club and retired Labour MPs.

Questions and answers at the end and an elderly gent stood up and gave a John Maclean type line on Scottish Independence.

Admit i'm still reeling at the venom shown by the old Stalinists.

They were the equal of any of the Friday night crew in George Square.

Totally, the SWP are complete hypocrites on the Indy question, they used to argue John MacLean only moved towards supporting independence because he'd gone mad in prison. They only moved their position when they saw the popular support it was gaining. They'd happily drop it like hot shite if it was expedient.

Probably need a separate tinpot leftist sects threads for all this chat, I love it.

[Glenconner]

Maryfield (Dundee):

SNP: 49.5 (-1.4)

LAB: 22.7 (-13.8 )

CON: 10.5 (+3.3)

TUSC: 5.1 (+3.3)

GRN: 4.1 (+4.1)

LDEM: 3.0 (-0.6)

IND: 2.6

UKIP: 2.5

At the same time a Welsh Tory got seven (7) votes in the Caerphilly council by-election.

[Granny Danger]

Totally, the SWP are complete hypocrites on the Indy question, they used to argue John MacLean only moved towards supporting independence because he'd gone mad in prison. They only moved their position when they saw the popular support it was gaining. They'd happily drop it like hot shite if it was expedient.

Probably need a separate tinpot leftist sects threads for all this chat, I love it.

No it needs to stay amongst the mainstream debate where it belongs.

[welshbairn]

Is this Wee Willie a parody account or something?

 

I have it on good authority that he is really JK Rowling.

[invergowrie arab]

Totally, the SWP are complete hypocrites on the Indy question, they used to argue John MacLean only moved towards supporting independence because he'd gone mad in prison. They only moved their position when they saw the popular support it was gaining. They'd happily drop it like hot shite if it was expedient.

Probably need a separate tinpot leftist sects threads for all this chat, I love it.

This.

I used to go to Marxism in London in my student summers when I was young and full of trotsky. The independent Scotland debates were a hoot. I was accused of everything from splitting the working class to being a counter revolutionary. One of them didn't wear shoes the c**t.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

This.

I used to go to Marxism in London in my student summers when I was young and full of trotsky. The independent Scotland debates were a hoot. I was accused of everything from splitting the working class to being a counter revolutionary. One of them didn't wear shoes the c**t.

You didn't use actually in your statement there so you clearly were never a full-on Trot.

Actually.

[Emiliano ZaBankie]

This.

I used to go to Marxism in London in my student summers when I was young and full of trotsky. The independent Scotland debates were a hoot. I was accused of everything from splitting the working class to being a counter revolutionary. One of them didn't wear shoes the c**t.

I'm convinced there is state intervention in the SWP. They split every single organisation they become involved with on the left while cuddling up to labour, union leaderships, even tories at times in their many 'front' organisations.

Always been suspicious that such a tiny organisation manage to produce a weekly national colour newspaper, monthly magazine, quarterly journal as well as flood every demo going with placards etc.

[invergowrie arab]

The SWP have always had some very well heeled middle class guilt backers. Usually from old money.

The joke about the swp is there wasn't any workers and it wasn't much of a party. My experience in Dundee and Glasgow is that it was utterly rooted in working class activism but when you went to London it was chock full of academia and upper class layabouts indulging in what granny danger would accurately coin intellectual masturbation.

[ICTChris]

A journalist (it was either Frnacis Wheen or Nick Cohen) wrote w a few years back that he was a guest of the Eton College debating club and that during their talk he criticised the SWP, prompting a heckle from one of the pupils "You can't say that! My fathers a member!"

[WaffenThinMint]

At the same time a Welsh Tory got seven (7) votes in the Caerphilly council by-election.

 

Context is everything. The Moriah ward ranks ranks 62nd out of 1909 Welsh localities in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (the higher the rank, the bigger the shithole) - hardly Tory territory.

 

The rest of the result was Labour 464, 196 & 89 respectively for two Independents, & 77 for the Kipper candidate. Plaid Cymru couldn't even get anyone to stand, despite having 20 of the 73 councillors - although they may be withholding resources for this May's all-in council elections

 

The SWP have always had some very well heeled middle class guilt backers. Usually from old money.

The joke about the swp is there wasn't any workers and it wasn't much of a party. My experience in Dundee and Glasgow is that it was utterly rooted in working class activism but when you went to London it was chock full of academia and upper class layabouts indulging in what granny danger would accurately coin intellectual masturbation.

 

There used to be an evil little shit called Lynne Rooney who ran with the SWP thugs in Glasgow that was caught out having a Saturday job in Frasers which her rather posh mummy had got her. Most of them were spoiled middle class brats, insipid weeds or ex-Army grunts wanting to be part of a gang that made them think they were "hard" - little more than a politically correct version of the John Tyndall run British National Party.

 

There's little doubt that without Paul Foot's involvement (who for all his establishment baiting was more than happy to pull those connections he and uncle Michael had within the "great & good" to protect his own interests), the SWP would have been subject to some pretty lurid headlines about misappropriation of finances via their various "front" groups, members prosecuted for assault, etc. It certainly beggers belief the police were told to keep their noses out of the rape business within their ranks three years ago despite it making even the tabloids.

[Emiliano ZaBankie]

Most of them were spoiled middle class brats, insipid weeds or ex-Army grunts wanting to be part of a gang that made them think they were "hard" - little more than a politically correct version of the John Tyndall run British National Party.

There's little doubt that without Paul Foot's involvement (who for all his establishment baiting was more than happy to pull those connections he and uncle Michael had within the "great & good" to protect his own interests), the SWP would have been subject to some pretty lurid headlines about misappropriation of finances via their various "front" groups, members prosecuted for assault, etc. It certainly beggers belief the police were told to keep their noses out of the rape business within their ranks three years ago despite it making even the tabloids.

I agree with most of your sentiments on the SWP but from my experience I don't recognise the idea that they are, "little more than a politically correct version of the John Tyndall run British National Party". This would suggest organised violence being used as a political tactic which I don't think they can be accused of. Members were expelled for their advocation of violent confrontation with the far right in the early 80's and went on to form Red Action. RA gained 15 minutes of notoriety when a couple of their members planted a bomb for the PIRA.

[WaffenThinMint]

I agree with most of your sentiments on the SWP but from my experience I don't recognise the idea that they are, "little more than a politically correct version of the John Tyndall run British National Party". This would suggest organised violence being used as a political tactic which I don't think they can be accused of. Members were expelled for their advocation of violent confrontation with the far right in the early 80's and went on to form Red Action. RA gained 15 minutes of notoriety when a couple of their members planted a bomb for the PIRA.

 

The SWP were originally the International Socialists, & were specifically founded to be a "Trotskyite version of the National Front" (to quote Tony Cliff) - they changed their name after the World In Action documentary "War on the Terraces" in 1976 which pointed the finger at them & the neo-Nazi British Movement deliberately instigating violence at football matches.

 

The SWP are notorious for dumping people ONLY if they get into public bother (the most ironic of course being a certain Blair Peach, expelled the week before he became their most famous "martyr") - Red Action was formed from disillusioned members who felt the SWP's leadership wanted to have their cake and eat it, encouraging violence against "Tory scum", but disowning them if they got sentenced to a jail spell in court.

[Emiliano ZaBankie]

Can't find that episode online, is it the one with the Millwall fans in surgical masks?

Found this which I remember back in the day:

Got to to admit leaves me 99% sympathetic to the ANL rather than slimy Ken Livingstone.

[sparky88]

Totally, the SWP are complete hypocrites on the Indy question, they used to argue John MacLean only moved towards supporting independence because he'd gone mad in prison. They only moved their position when they saw the popular support it was gaining. They'd happily drop it like hot shite if it was expedient.

Probably need a separate tinpot leftist sects threads for all this chat, I love it.

Of course the SWP would drop their commitment to independence if it was politically expedient. The only party that cares about independence for independences sake is the SNP. The rest - Greens, RISE, SWP, whoever - see independence as a means to an end. Conversely the SNP's talk left act right spiel is itself a means to an end- that end being independence.

[invergowrie arab]

Was down in Bridge of Earn today for the Almond &  Earn by election. Held by an independent, Tories have thrown the kitchen sink at it with Murdo Fraser and Liz Smith being here all week.

 

Will be very interested to see what happens. Tories led first preferences in in 2012 with 31% with one candidate but the combined SNP candidates got 41% on first preference. 12% independent vote in play too.

[invergowrie arab]

cuntballs. Tories win.

 

waiting on numbers