Holyrood passes controversial Hate Crime Bill
MSPs have passed what has been described as “Scotland’s most controversial piece of legislation”. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill was passed on Thursday (11 March 2021) by 82 votes to 32, with 4 abstentions after a marathon debate of amendments on Wednesday. The legislation seeks to consolidate existing law and extends protection for some vulnerable groups with a new offence of “stirring up hatred”. Concerns have been raised about the potential impact on freedom of speech, with opponents arguing that the full implications of the proposed law have not been thought through. While supporting the principle of protecting people from prejudice, they argue that the definition of “‘stirring up hatred” is too vague and open to interpretation.
Communists offer real alternative to Starmer’s Labour
Communist Party candidates in Scotland launched their campaigns this week ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections this May. The Communist Party is putting up candidates, not just in Scotland, but across Wales, many of the English regions, and London. Each and every one of these candidates offers hope in a political landscape that has been ravaged by neoliberal politics for over a decade at least.
Richard Leonard resigns as Scottish Labour Leader
Scottish Labour Leader, Richard Leonard, has today (14 January 2021) announced his resignation with immediate effect, making him the tenth leader to try, and fail, to overturn the Party’s seemingly terminal decline. Nearly 14 years since the SNP first went into Government, Labour appear devoid of answers as the next election looms.
Scottish Parliament unanimously passes Period Poverty Bill
This evening, 24 November 2020, the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted to become the first country in the world to pass legislation making period products freely available to all. The Bill, which was proposed by Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour spokesperson for Health and Sport, is the result of years of campaigning from anti-poverty campaigners.
The battles of the past can inform today’s struggles
As the Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary year, Tom Morrison, Scottish Secretary of the CP, looks to one of its most influential periods in the ’60s-70s where grassroots alliances were key.
Scottish Labour in latest sabotage crisis
This week, Scottish Labour was plunged into yet another crisis as Scottish shadow cabinet members James Kelly and Jenny Marra resigned and called on leader, Richard Leonard, to resign. Seen as the last key figure of the Corbyn movement still in office, many so-called moderates in the Party are keen for him to go. Leonard […]
