Scottish Socialist Freedom Group Founding Principles

SSFG Founding Principles

Solidarity Launch Glasgow East Campaign

Solidarity Launch Glasgow East Campaign

Glasgow Solidarity members have selected their candidate for the Glasgow East by-election on 24 July. Tricia McLeish, of the party's Shettleston branch, was appointed unopposed with the unianimous support of the Glasgow region of Scotland's largest socialist party.

Tricia said:"I am honoured to be selected as Solidarity's candidate.

Living in the area and working for the council, I see the results of New Labour's failed agenda first hand. The SNP offer no answers for the people of the East end, just more of the same under a different flag. The East End will not be saved by shopping centes or by a Donald Trump.

We need real jobs and real futures. "Solidarity are AGAINST the renewal of trident, but FOR spending the billions on houses and pensioners instead.

We stand AGAINST the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and FOR the withdrawal of British and all other foreign troops.

Tricia McLeish is a founding member of Solidarity and has been an active socialist for over 20 years. She is 44, and works as a technical officer for Glasgow City Council's Land and Environmantal Services and was a Unison (and previously NALGO) shop steward in the council's housing department for 15 years.

Tricia was born, bred and still lives in Shettleston, the eldest of six children, all of whom still live in the East end of Glasgow, as do her parents.

She was educated at St Andrews in Greenfield. Tricia joined the Labour Party Young Socialists and then Militant in the early 1980's when she was on a youth opportunities scheme and since then has been at the forefront of many political campaigns in Scotland.

After being suspended from the Labour Party for her involvement in the Anti-Poll Tax Federation, she went to be a founder member of The Scottish Socialist Alliance, the Scottish Socialist Party and then Solidarity.

She is a member of the party's National Steering Committee and still an active trade unionist, leading campaigns against privatisation of services, most notably the back-door privatisation of housing stock through the GHA.

For further details or to speak to Solidarity's candidate call Jim Monaghan on 07944 217938
http://www.solidarityscotland.org/

Tricia McLeish - Glasgow East Solidarity Candidate

TRICIA McLEISH, SOLIDARITY

Tricia McLeish, 44, from the party's Shettleston branch, has been an active socialist for more than 20 years.

She was born and lives in Shettleston and was educated at St Andrews in Greenfield.

Ms McLeish works as a technical officer for Glasgow City Council's land and environmental services and was a Unison (and previously Nalgo) shop steward in the council's housing department for 15 years. After being suspended from the Labour Party for her involvement in the Anti-Poll Tax Federation, she went on to become a founder member of the Scottish Socialist Alliance, the Scottish Socialist Party and then Solidarity.

She is a member of the party's national steering committee and has taken a leading role in campaigns against the privatisation of public services.

Join the Scottish Socalist Freedom Discussion Group

uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/scotsocialistfreedom/

The Scottish Socialist Freedom Group are looking for interested individuals to join the discussion group to debate matters of interest in Scottish socialist politics and cultural matters. Click on the link above and blue join button and tell us about yourself very briefly eg: political interests and your real name.
Membership welcome from Scotland and elsewhere in the International community
Regards
Larry SSFG/Solidarity

Scottish Red Star to launch this week

Scottish Red Star project is to launch this week with publicity in the community through leafleting future scottish events publicising the website and aims of direct political action in the community. The website will keep updated news of Scottish political socialist events and encourage political activity in the community.
Scottish Red Star Website up and running

Cuba: Present and future

Cuba: Present and future

listen to and question

Teresita Trujillo

Official of the Foreign Relations Department of the

Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party

7.30pm, Thurs 22nd May

Lecture Theatre 1, Appleton Tower, Crichton Street,

University of Edinburgh,

George Square

Edinburgh

Blog Change: Scottish Political Events

I think it is time to get this blog going again after 2 or 3 months in hibernation. I will keep content varied but introduce some political material. Also intend to advertise Scottish political events here. For a full list of Scottish events in the socialist political world go to Scottish Red Star and click on the page for the Events Calender

Review: Kate Bush and Aerial

Aerial saw the return of Kate Bush to the scene with her eighth studio album after a long 12 years. And what a good come back for those that are low and wish to reach slightly estatic heights after having their mood lifted. The album begins with "The King of Mountain" which had stormed the UK download charts at the time of Aerial and is pleasantly hypnotic. While the album is divided between A Sea of Honey and A Sky of Honey the latter takes some beating for energy. Certainly worth it to argue the whole album is uplifting. In 'Mrs. Bartolozzi’ Kate sings about washing machines or laundry and it is beautiful while 'How To Be Invisible in pop music terms has life and is cutting edge. In the track "Joanni" the multi-layered orchestration is apparent and echos of musical arrangements in The Sensual World. 'A Coral Room' is a reflective piano piece like 'This Woman's Work.' A Sky of Honey the other CD of the album begins with bird song while 'Prologue' has an almost haunting sound of cello and grand piano. The Sky of Honey could be Kate Bush's Dark Side Of The Moon with it's bassy echos and it really awakens and comes to life. Rolf Harris makes an appearance on the album with ‘An Architect’s Dream’ and ‘The Painter’s Link’ and while Kate thinks Rolf's painting is just great it falls victim to an unexpected downpour in which he wearily exclaims "it's raining what has become of my painting?" This is comic but blends in to the impressible 'Sunset' which depicts the descending light but breaks into life with flamenco guitars simply brilliant! Kate then imitates the bird song to bring us into 'Somewhere in Between' with it's harmonics and rhumda-esque rhythems is quite uplifting to put it midly almost trance inducing. The final track Aerial sees the dawn of a new day in which it is time to join the birds in song. An ambitious ending to quite simply a great album with hysterical laughter included. Aerial takes the listener to places you want to be, probably the best Kate Bush work yet.

Scottish Captain

Kate Bush - Aerial

Kate Bush review?

I hope to write a review on this blog soon about Kate Bush's excellent 2005 Aerial album. A fit of wisdom was to choose that CD and borrow out my local library. Was not aware three years ago she had been back in the recording studio with a wee gem. Here is a video from the CD below enjoy!

Kate Bush Prologue

Star bright better day light

I was going to post a version of William Shatner and rocket man but sound and picture quality was none too good. Instead I have a funny version of him doing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds which is posted below.

Well good to have some light in the morning instead of getting up and going to bed when it is dark. Never been really keen on artificial light and I can always read better in natural bright light, perhaps a sign the eyes are not immune to the effects of age. When the spring descends upon us I will be out and about with my camera in obviously better weather conditions and some brighter days to boot. I have to get some pictures of Arbroath Abbey where Scotland's Declaration of independence was originally signed.