A Perspective For Workers and Communists in Scotland-The National Question

Leninists recognise the need for a consistent democratic outlook whenever the national question arises. Lenin believed that nations had the right to self-determination-whether the majority of the peoples of that particular nation decided to form a separate smaller state, or remain part of a larger state. The national question has became a prominent issue which reaches into many aspects of Scottish public life. The further degeneration of the reformist 'socialist' parties such as the SSP and Solidarity, which have drifted into Scottish nationalist deviations, which goes against the interests of the Scottish working-class since it dampens the class struggle and transforms it into a national struggle-makes it obligatory for Scottish Marxists to pay more attention to the national question more than ever.

The purpose of this article is give a general outline of the perspectives that Marxists should take in Scotland. To do this, it would be convenient to start with the party of Scottish Independence-the SNP.

The Scottish National Party under the leadership of Alex Salmond, draws support from both disillusioned New Labour voters while forging a cosy relationship with prominent Scottish capitalists, such as Brian Souter head of Stagecoach and former RBS chief George Mathewson.

The SNP hold the self-proclaimed label of being a "centre-left" party-this can be observed when the SNP appeal to anti-war sentiment along with an important emphasis on NHS funding. These 'leftist' moves should be regarded as moves by a clearly capitalist party (as we shall see) to draw in working-class voters. The SNP most definetly do not conceal their sympathies for the super-rich when Brian Souter had donated £500.000 to Salmond's party. Nor do Scottish Marxists forget that Brian Souter is a a right-wing homophobe who has a vicious hatred for trade unions. And former chief of the Royal Bank of Scotland, the 5th largest bank on the planet, George Mathewson supported Salmond as First Minister and still does. It seems very difficult for Salmond and the SNP to support the working-class and the national bourgeoisie since both have contradicting demands which are viciously opposed to one another. The SNP have pursued policies that appeal to the Scottish working-class-its opposition to nuclear weapons and the Private Finance Intiative (PFI), abolition of the hated council tax and student fees and free central heating for pensionsers etc. These are progressive policies, but the inherent contradiction to be found in the SNP's policies is when it adopts a purely neo-liberal programe of financial deregulation, tax cuts for business and the massive support and promotion of Scottish corporations home and abroad.

Salmond justifies this mishmash of conflicting class interests and policies in an interview with Total Politics saying that Scots “didn't mind the economic side [of Margaret Thatcher's policies] so much. But we didn't like the social side at all.”

Yes, Thatcher's economic policies that destroyed Scotland's industry and condemmed the people of Scotland to poverty, mass unemployment and misery were alright, but Salmond was unahppy about the 'way it was implemented' and that it could be imposed in a much more friendly and nicer manner! Well, Mr Salmond that is very thoughtful of you, but try as you might, the theme of this article so far is that you cannot keep the workers and capitalists happy-helping one usually means attacking the other-this is even more true in times of economic recession.

Now straight to the question of how communists should view this.

1.If YOU, an ordinary person, a Marxist, a worker, in short, anyone who wants to see the demise of Scottish capitalism and capitalism as a global system, needs to oppose Salmond and the SNP and convince the working and middle class supporters that they have voted for the wrong party-the crushing domination of big capital (supported by the SNP) in Scotland will mean thousands of the middle class and smaller businesses will go under, and the neo-liberal pro-business policies will mean millions of the working-class will go under. It is simple. The SNP is against the working-class, it is a party for the Souters and Mathewsons.

One thing we must keep in mind, is that even though Scotland is a small nation, it does not mean we are safe from the exploitation of the capitalists, the stripping away of the welfare of the working people and massive tax cuts for the rich.

2. The separation of Scotland from the UK would not be a progressive step forward for the Scottish working-class. (for the reasons stated above).

3.The visible crisis in the Scottish Labour Party (and the British) gives all the more reason for all revolutionary and progressive-revolutionary elements in society to form a new revolutionary workers party which would build and spread itself within the Scottish working-class and make links with counter-parts throughout the rest of Britain. The purpose of a genuine workers party is not to create and and strengthen the tensions of of the national question in favour of independence, like that of the so-called "workers" parties such as the SSP and Solidarity, not to create a new patchwork of tiny bouregeois states, but to overthrow the state in which they live and replace it with a workers state that smashes the economic power of the capitalists and places it under the democratic control of the working-class itself.

The straight answer to the question "Do you want Scotland to separate from Britain and be independent?", which will appear in the referendum, it is the duty of the Scottish Communists to call for a 'No' vote. This in no way implies we support the British state. It because we stand for a united proletarian rebellion to get rid of and smash the undemocratic British institutions such as the House Of Lords, and finally, for the complete and final abolition of the Monarchy. Communists seek to establish a Socialist Republic Of Britain.

If however, the Scottish people in their majority decided that they do want independence, communists would activley support their democratic decision to do so. The working-class in Wales, England and Northen Ireland would support the Scottish people to do this, taking direct action if Westminster try to prevent Scotland from separating. The fact is that if this sort of action was to be taken up, Westminster would simply strengthen nationalist sentiment in Scotland. This is in turn would lead to sharp divisions among the various working-classes of all countries within the UK, which would weaken working-class power and dampen the consciousness with national prejudice and hatred.

Communists are not nationalists, but proletarian internationalists. We follow the words of Karl Marx when he said "the working class have no country". "Nations" are simply boundaries which were divided up by the bourgeoisie. The concept of "nationalism" is a ploy for the workers to take sides with "their bourgeoisie" and not unify with their fellow workers and take the fight to the capitalists. Words like "national interest" come to mind, where the bourgeoisie make it out that they and the working-class have the same interests. An outright lie.

This is why the 'left' parties such as the SSP and Solidarity put workers into a dangerous position with their flirtations with independence and nationalism.