Edinburgh Radical Independence Campaign

Edinburgh RIC came together just before the Radical Independence Conference held in Glasgow on November 30^th, 2012, attended by 800 people.  Edinburgh RIC was the first Local Group in Scotland and has met and been involved in action continuously since March 2013 with regular Assemblies (see Archive and Reports).

We provide solidarity with campaigns to bring about democracy and justice in Scotland, these islands, Europe and the whole world.  We provide solidarity with campaigns of workers, women, and those from a BME, LBGT+ and other oppressed backgrounds to bring about equality. We alert our members and supporters of such campaigns (see Events and Archive). 

We welcome the vibrant Scottish cultural renaissance and its contribution to self-determination in its widest sense, nationally and internationally. We have also organised Radical Scottish History events (see Archive).

RIC currently has members in the Labour Party, Republican Socialist Platform, Scottish Greens, SNP Socialists and many not in any political party, but often in campaigning groups, e.g.  Cop26 Coalition and Living Rent (see Links).  Since we have members and supporters in different political parties, we do not make recommendations for voting in Westminster, Holyrood or local elections, but we have held hustings where the parties standing can put their case (see Archive).

With support from Edinburgh RIC a national RIC Refounding Conference was held on 12.6.21. There are now regular RIC National Forums, The AGM was held on 2.21.22. The following revised principles were agreed:-

The Radical Independence Campaign (Scotland) is a campaigning coalition which stands for and organises around the following Six Principles

1) For a democratic, secular, socially just and environmentally sustainable, Scottish Republic

2) Action based on the sovereignty of the people not the UK Crown, leading to the setting up of a Constituent Assembly

3) Action to establish universal health, care, education, housing, income, pensions, and trade union rights; and to win land reform and challenge environmental degradation

4) Equality and opposition to discrimination on grounds of sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion/belief, disability or age

5) Solidarity with the struggles for workers’ rights, democracy and self-determination, based on internationalism from below 

6) Support for Scotland’s artistic and cultural revival and all its languages 

Faslane for a Nuclear Free Scotland

Saturday, 28.8.21, 13.00- 15.00

These weapons of mass destruction play no useful roll and they put all of us at risk. They only exist as a means of providing the UK Government with a seat at the table with other major imperialist powers who seek to control and dominate, both politically and economically, the world by military power. 

The cost of replacing Trident is estimated to be in excess of £205bn, money that could be much better spent on bairns not bombs.

Only Independence can guarantee a nuclear free Scotland, as such All Under One Banner has called this static-rally at the Faslane Navel Base on Saturday 28th August at 1pm. This rally will be staged with due regard to the safety of those attending, and with close cooperation with Police Scotland.

Come along and show your support!

Alan Bell, Now Scotland

August 28, 2021 at 1:00pm – 3pm

Faslane Naval Base

Helensburgh,

Scotland

G84 8HL

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Helensburgh+G84+8HL/@56.0699265,-4.8290467,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4889a8597b3ec32f:0xf0c7a60c75964bbe!8m2!3d56.0667747!4d-4.817525

Edinburgh RIC Assembly Wednesday, August 18th, 7 pm

Mim Black (Press Officer, COP-26 Coalition)

for details of this Zoom meeting contact – edinburghric@gmail.com

see article on the impact of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming

Code Red by Mike Small, bella caledonia

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2021/08/09/code-red/

and

Scottish Independence and the Path to Climate Justice by Mim Black

https://edinburghric.org/2021/04/23/scottish-independence-and-the-path-to-climate-justice/

The last Edinburgh RIC report was submitted to the abortive national AGM on 17.1.21.

Edinburgh RIC has continued to organise.  No local group reports were taken at the relaunch national RIC conference on 6.2.21 or at the revived National Forum on 26.6.21.  Therefore, this report will cover Edinburgh RIC activity since the abortive RIC AGM.

1. Edinburgh RIC Organising Meetings

11.2.21 – It was unanimously agreed that Edinburgh RIC should continue. 

Future events were discussed.

8.3.21 – Agreement on Statement submitted by Stephen Murray. 

Future events were discussed.

29.3.21 – Planning a Holyrood election hustings. Initially the SNP were supportive, but the emergence of Alba meant that neither party was prepared to put forward speaker, and Lesley Riddoch had diplomatically declined to chair such a line-up. The Scottish Greens remained supportive throughout, and after the failure of the hustings it was decided that their speaker should address the next Edinburgh RIC Assembly.

In the absence of an election debate links to articles by Allan Armstrong (RSP), Sean Bell, Terry Conway and rs21 were posted at end of report of next meeting

Other future events were also discussed.

26.4.21 – It was unanimously agreed that Allan Armstrong and Nick Gotts should be Edinburgh delegates to the relaunch national conference on

6.2.21.

Myra Galletly would step in temporarily to take over part of the Secretary’s job – the internal Mailchimp mailing.

Other future events were also discussed.

7.6.21 – Report back from relaunch RIC conference 

160 signed up, 103 were maximum in attendance at any one point. 

Other future events were also discussed

30.6.21 – The Edinburgh RIC Assembly took the form of an Open Organising Meeting.  Jack Ferguson, one of the national RIC conference organisers, attended.  It was agreed that he would collate a list of all those from Edinburgh, who attended this conference but were not yet members. For the next Edinburgh RIC Assembly on 11.8.21. This would discuss organising RIC activity under relaxed Covid-19 conditions, including participation in:- 

1. Cop-26 events 
2. Covid-19 Fightback
3. Furthering the campaign for Scottish independence (AUOB events? etc)

From this Assembly an Edinburgh RIC AGM should be organised to elect new office bearers.

In addition, Jack would invite those who signed up as new members (along with existing members) to join national RIC Working Groups.  There was a special plea for involvement in the Cop-26 group.

Allan Armstrong and Nick Gotts would be delegates to the nest RIC National Forum on 24.7.21.

26.7.21 – Next O.M.

• Edinburgh RIC Assemblies

24.2.21 – Working Our Way Forward 

26.5.21 – After the Holyrood election – What now? -Kate Nevens, Scottish Green candidate

30.6.21 – This took the form of an open Organising Meeting (see above).

11.8.21 – Next Assembly (see O.M. report 30.6.21 above)

• Other events

17.7.21 – Protest against the Nationality and Borders Bill – Glasgow

1.5.20 – Kill the Bill Protest 

1.5.21 – Edinburgh May Day – The Peoples Recovery 

• Other postings

1. Scottish Independence and the Path to Climate Justice – Mim Black

• Defending Kobane is not a crime – Sarah Glynn

Armstrong, Minutes Secretary, Edinburgh RIC, 22.7.21

The Edinburgh RIC banner was at the protest against the Nationality and Borders Bill in Glasgow on the 17th July. This protest was organised by the organised by the No Evictions Network.

A full report, written by Maria Elena Carpintero Torres-Corvedo by can be seen on bella caledonia.

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2021/07/19/how-the-no-evictions-network-is-fighting-the-nationality-and-borders-bill/

The following poem by Ewan Girvan was read out on the Buchanan Street steps

:-

THE NATIONALITY AND BORDERS BILL

This Immigration Bill is a spell

Cast by callous Johnston and inhumane Patel

Their logic is all tapsalteerie

They peddle truth most insincerely

We a’ want tae bring

Human smuggling tae an end

But what they want is

No welcome whatsoever and to send

Everyone back across the channel

Or imprison them for years

No this bill is concocted

Of veiled threats and tears

Ah mean, if your hoose wiz bombed tae bits

Or your sexuality wiz questioned

Or ye were raped and tortured

In a regime of repression

According tae this evil bill

What ye have to dae

Is tae pipe up here and then

We hiv just to say

And ask yer torturer” Could you be so kind

To describe your cruel mistreatment 

And if you do not mind

Prepare my immigration documents

It’s for the UK government

I hope you understand

They won’t let me seek asylum

Unless I have my papers in hand”

No it appears to me that the only thing illegal here

Is this Bill that traumatises the traumatised with fear

Cast by the callous inhumanity of Johnston and Patel

We must deft this bill, Let’s break this spell

Saturday, 12th June, 11.00-17.30

Programme

AFTER THE MAY 6^th HOLYROOD ELECTION – WHAT NOW?

An introduction by Kate Nevens – Scottish Green Regional List candidate Lothians

What happens next? 

• All Green MSPs will campaign and vote for a referendum within this Parliamentary term 
• We will continue to build the Green YES movement and vision, and work with the broader independence movement and sister Green MEPs in the European Parliament 
• We will work with other parties in parliament on key priorities, laying the groundwork for a fairer, greener and independent Scotland eace 

Our vision for an independent, fairer and greener Scotland 

• Investing in a green recovery and playing our part in global efforts to tackle the climate crisis 
• Reversing the politics of austerity, addressing social, gender and wealth inequalities, and valuing the role of care in the economy 
• Being a voice for peace and human rights on the global stage, and a sanctuary for those who need it 

Voice & actions for peace 

• Nuclear-free world 
• AND end all support to conventional arms industry 
• Decolonising aid & trade; standing in solidarity with oppressed groups 
• Contribute to global roll out of COVID-19 vaccine 

Abolish the Home Office (and Defund the Police) 

• End dehumanising asylum application process and end immigration detention / close Dungavel 
• Reunite families & provide safe passage 
• End outsourcing of asylum accommodation 
• End No Recourse To Public Funds 
• End Police Scotland support to Home Office 

Climate Justice 

• Ending oil and gas extraction 
• Restorative climate justice and reparation funds 
• COP26 
• Collective global action 

For further information contact

Kate Nevens

Kate.nevens@scottishgreens.org.uk Twitter: @katenevens

greens.scot/ourfuture

This was followed by contributions from those attending the meeting. Issues raised included the following:-

A Labour Party member said that many members in Scotland were becoming increasingly disillusioned with their party in Scotland and that some were likely to join the Scottish Green Party.

The significance of autonomous campaigns, such as those around Extinction Rebellion and Living Rent were raised.  Others added the action taken at Kenmure Street in support of migrants threatened with deportation, and the Sisters Uncut demonstrations following the Sarah Everard murder, highlighted the  growing willingness to take the sort of action which would be needed to defy the UK state in the forthcoming Scottish independence campaign. 

Another contributor thought that the demand to defund the police, which made immediate sense in the USA and had been highlighted by the Black Lives Matter protests, would need to be rethought in the UK contest.

The issue of the political pressures on the Scottish Green Party arising from going into coalition  with the more neo-liberal SNP needed to be considered.

The prospect of the Scottish Greens giving their backing to the Radical Independence campaign was raised.  This could be brought up at the next Edinburgh and national meetings.