Steve Biko to Black Lives Matter: The evolution of black political movements

On the 49th anniversary of the formation of the Black Panther Party the revolutionary ideas of the Panthers seem more important than ever with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. After all there has been an increasing overlap between some sections of the Black Lives Matter movement in a broad sense and some rather unsavoury characters who claim the mantle of the Panthers, calling themselves the New Black Panthers. This association has been picked up on by a few right wing blogs and news outlets intent on denigrating the movement as a whole.

Why Corbyn can't win Scotland

An article I recently wrote for Darrow. You can read the original article here.

The SNP and the ANC: Radical Movements and Parliamentary politics

My piece on the ANC and the SNP for Scottish Left Project.

You can read the full piece here.

It would be fair to assume that the political culture of post-referendum Scotland and the transition to democracy in South Africa have few similarities. It is true that the unique nature of the apartheid state makes any comparison inevitable cumbersome; however, the parallels between the SNP and the ANC contain some an important lessons for the left in Scotland.

Tommy Sheridan and SNP entryism

An article I recently wrote for Darrow.

Whilst the media have been focusing on accusations of entryism in the recent Labour Party leadership race, convicted perjurer Tommy Sheridan’s Solidarity party has been quietly making inroads into SNP branches.

Corbyn the Reactionary?

As Jeremy Corbyn surges towards the leadership of the Labour Party his foreign policy has been put under increasing scrutiny. What has particularly drawn the media's attention is Corbyn's tendency to associate himself with ghoulish anti-Semites such as Dyab Abou Jahjah and Raed Salah. Now, of course, Jeremy Corbyn is no anti-Semite- he is the embodiment of an old fashioned humanitarian. So what drives such a vehement anti-racist into the the company of pond life like Abou Jahjah?

John McTernan: Labour's Prince?

                                                                           

Librarian turned political strategist John McTernan did a short piece for the Daily Politics about a year ago. In it he talked of his admiration for Niccolò Machiavelli and the relevance of Machiavelli's philosophy today. 

Justice and reconciliation: The trial of the Khmer Rouge

My piece for Development in Action on the Khmer Rouge Trial.

You can read the original piece here.

On 7 July 2015 International Co-Investigating Judge Mark Harmon became the fourth international judge to resign from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia. The Tribunal is investigating the role played by former Khmer Rouge officials in systematic violations of international law, including genocide and crimes against humanity.

War in the Middle East: Why the left should support the revolutionary Kurds

A recent statement in Parliament by Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon confirmed that the UK Government are seriously looking at the prospect of extending airstrikes from Iraq into Syria.

Putin and his Western apologists

For more than a decade now sections of the British left have been fawning over reactionary tyrant Vladimir Putin. From Ukraine to FIFA there are certain members of what some may describe as the Chomskyite left who will parrot Russian propaganda word for word. I personally am uncomfortable with throwing Professor Chomsky in with George Galloway and the like- his writings tend to contain a degree of nuance and empiricism which are lacking from his self appointed disciples.  Nevertheless what is clear is that there is a very obvious yearning for the Cold War certainties of the 20^th century. I can very well understand the impulse to defend, rightly or wrongly the actions of the Soviet Union against Western capitalism but that’s all finished now. The wall came down and in preceding 2 decades Yeltsin and Putin have set about creating an authoritarian form of Russian nationalism, which has abandoned free services for the free market.

the snp and the repeal of the hunting act

today it was announced that our 56 newly elected radical, nationalist mps would be abstaining from voting on any tory legislation which seeks to repeal the fox hunting ban in england and wales. 

hope over fear: the ugly side of scottish nationalism

thousands massed in freedom square (george square), glasgow today for an almost comical outpouring of nationalistic fervour. the gathering was organised and led by flag waver in chief, tommy sheridan. of course, it's a great thing that politics north of the border has become so energised but this, i'm afraid, was a demonstration of all the ugliest aspects of political patriotism. sheridan is a notorious ego maniac, who was willing to lie in court and throw old comrades under the bus in the process. therefore any attempt by him to resuscitate his failed political career must be viewed with suspicion. to be fair to the snp, they do realise this and it's why nicola sturgeon and the majority of the party distanced themselves from todays goings-on. 

dundee general election debate

the prospective parliamentary candidates for dundee west (and east) got together tonight to discuss a wide selection local, national, and international issues. the general calibre of candidates was surprisingly good, with the green party's pauline hinchion coming across particularly well. 

europe's shame

as many as 700 people are feared dead after the latest in a series of tragic maritime accidents in the mediterranean. just 1 week ago another 400 died in similar circumstances as the small fishing vessel they were travelling on capsized. that said, nobody seems particularly surprised. after all we were warned this would happen when the Italian government gave up their 9 million a month mare nostrum mission last year which carried out proactive search and rescue operations over 27,000 square miles of sea. despite rome’s protestations the european union attempted to replace the italian search and rescue operation on the cheap. triton operates on a third of the budget of its predecessor and is based solely on border surveillance- operating only within 30 miles of the italian coast.

killing to conserve

rebecca francis is the latest in a long line of female ‘trophy hunters’ to cause uproar on social media- posing beside the (soon to be) carcass of a bull giraffe. rebecca’s personal website is a litany of self-indulgent, boasts detailing the long list of lives she has extinguished. but underneath this gruesome blood lust lies an important issue of whether hunting can big game can paradoxically be good for conservation.

hillary clinton and identity politics

so, hillary clinton has finally come clean on the worst kept secret in american politics- she’s running for president. there is of course the small matter of winning the democratic nomination but, her religious adherence to consensus and political orthodoxy means she is unlikely to be threatened from either the centre or the left. she will thus stroll through the process in a fashion which does not exactly live up to the name of her proud old party.

a whiff of sulphur in caracas

last month president barack obama announced a fresh batch of economic sanctions on the beleaguered venezuelan government of nicolas maduro for, the ‘intimidation of political opponents’. obama went on to say that venezuela poses ‘an extraordinary threat to the national security of the u.s.’ The language used by the president seems to be quite fantastical, given that the venezuelan regime(according to the white house) can barely feed it’s own people.