Welcome to Ungagged!

Welcome to Ungagged! Page down for our latest Podcasts and articles!

Latest Podcasts

{Ordinary Heroes}

{Ungagged on Brazil and the SNP, Werner Heubeck and the Troubles, Coronavirus and Blairvadach}

{Dinnae Be Anyone’s Mug… Plus Music…}

{Get this into yer listening gear...}

{Derek Stewart MacPherson interviews Glasgow Councillor Graham Campbell}

{“Don’t Be Afraid To Resist!” – Nathália Urban On Lula’s First Speech Since Being Released}

Lula Da Silva
{Lula spoke today at the Metal Workers Union SMABC.}

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{RIC 2019 SPECIAL PODCAST}

On Saturday 26th of October, the Radical Independence Campaign held a conference.  The Speakers included Ungagged’s Nathalia Urban from Resist Brazil and Scottish Green MSP, Ross Greer. {LISTEN HERE}

{Nathalia Urban and Ross Greer}

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{Another Council Tenancy…}

On the day Boris and Barnier agree on how to build a wall around working class people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, We release our podcast… {Click or tap to listen}

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{The Spectacle}

…September’s aptly named Podcast… as the spectacle of a Prime Minister desperately trying to create headlines as he wrecks the constituent countries of the UK… {Click or tap to link to the Podcast}

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{“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral…” Paulo Friere}

A podcast about racism, oppression and imploring folk, “LET’S DEFEAT FASCISM!” {Click or tap to listen}

Marian Kamensky / Austria

 

{For more podcasts, go to our archive.}

 

Latest Articles

 

 

 

On VE Day, Neil Scott looks at the legacy of the post war generation, and the Tory Government’s trashing of the NHS and the Welfare State.

 Image by Debra Torrance and Neil Scott

 

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Val Waldron looks at aspects of the VE Day celebrations as a Victory for Hypocrisy

Image by Debra Torrance

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The Crank Aesthetic of ‘Planet of the Humans

Jim Jepps analyses Jeff Gibb’s expose for which Michael Moore is an Exec Producer.

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From Chernobyl to Covid-19

Beinn Irbhinn looks at the similarities between Chernobyl and Covid-19.

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Covid-19 Vs The Walking Dead

Beinn Irbhinn explores the effects of Covid-19 on collectivism, individualism and the Neo-Liberal assault on Britain since Thatcher.

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A Consideration of how the Scottish Independence Movement may have changed Post-Covid19


“The Scottish Independence Movement is a Progressive one, not an apology or a distraction during a crisis” [read more Here]

  By Val Waldron

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Beinn Irbhinn discusses how Covid-19 is being dealt by Neo-Liberal Capitalism now & it’s effect for the future in;

Covid-19, Toilet Paper and American Hegemony

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The continuation of the story The seed of light and Dan McPhail from Deborah Sanderson.

In the spring of another Now

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Grounds for Divorce: The European Union After COVID 19. by George Collins

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Statement from SNP Socialists on  Covid-19 

 

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Sacrificial Herd? Sam Hamad asks… “The British government have already sacrificed so many lives to Covid-19, why should we think they won’t do so again?”

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A Blank Page

Val Waldron looks at how we can Build Back Better, during and after the Coronavirus pandemic

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Beinn Irbhinn: My Covid-19 Story

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Paternalism, the new Feminism? by Suzanne Russell

{Shouty men – champions of feminism?}

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Isolation Policy Too Late For Some, As Pandemic Warnings Were Not Taken Seriously

says Rachael Horwitz

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A Call For Solidarity: Community Support For The Tollcross Community Action Network Amidst The Covid-19 Outbreak

Amidst the panic buying and uncertainty, many organisations continue to provide vital frontline support. Luke Campbell details Tollcross Community Action Network’s Community Hub – Foodbank partnership and praises Living Rent for rallying a major working class victory.

Luke Campbell, the author, is inspired by Paulo Freire… much as Ungagged is.

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Citizens Prove That Scotland Is

A Left Wing Nation

says Scott Bevan

{Citizen’s Assembly, Scotland, February 2020}

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The seed of light and Dan McPhail

By Deborah Sanderson

{Photo: Nasa.}

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A Bus-Load of Hypocrisy by John McHarg

“The £350 million a week to the NHS on the side of the bus lying bastard Tories. Now standing as the bastion of social responsibility and compassion because a microscopic wee virus has come along and made the World and them realize you can’t get out of this one without mass responsibility.”

 

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Virtual Covidity

Val Waldron reflects on the need to get us all back onto  a very different track, once we’re through the dark tunnel. Read more [here]

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Covid 19 And Journalism #BuildBackBetter

“Here in China, COVID-19 has changed the conversation about journalism. We need a similar shift in attitudes back in the UK. #BuildBackBetter”… more HERE

{Beinn Irbhinn is currently living and working in China.}

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Poem… plait, by Teresa Durran

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Corona Life Status – by Scott S Bevan

{“…Now the wedding must be postponed. We might not even get to graduate. We can’t meet or do much pro-actively offline as a branch or as a party. I can’t do the gym thing. I can’t go on honeymoon/holiday. The pubs/clubs/weddings are all closed and cancelled so gigging’s out the window now, and it doesn’t look likely I’ll be getting a job in what I have just trained in for 4 years, (or in anything really), anytime soon, as places aren’t exactly hiring at the moment.“}

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Chinese Net-Izens Shock And Anger At “Callous” UK Government

Beinn Irbhinn reports on the Chinese reaction to the UK policy of Herd Immunity…

{Chinese Unite to save all citizens…}

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{Val Waldron: It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe}

{Looking into the government handling of the Corona virus outbreak.}

 “We have not given up on our future, and a progressive constitutional change in Scotland can only trigger hope and example to others” read more [here]

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{Breakdown And 5 Takeaways From The Protest Movement Around The Anti-NRC/CAA Protests In India}

{Review of The Protest Movement Around The Anti-NRC/CAA Protests In India by Tejas Mukerji.}

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An Open letter to Undecided Voters by Val Waldron

photo by Mike Moss. Sunrise on Ben Lui

 “We have not given up on our future, and a progressive constitutional change in Scotland can only trigger hope and example to others” read more [here]

 

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{Harry And Meghan – The Venous Cannula Into The Putrid Corpse Of The Monarchy}

Harry and Meghan are a part of a sick, old body. Monarchy is being pumped with steroids and hemanevrin and by leeching, old, fame seeking bastards like Eamonn Holmes…

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Happy Families

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David C.Chin contemplates the tragedy of lost species in verse and prose

 

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{Mhairi Hunter:  Yes 2020 – The Coming Campaign}

Image: By Stewart Bremner

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{Debra Torrance: The End of the World}

{Review of the 2010s and a look forward to the next decade. “What are your new decade resolutions?”}

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No Choice

Never Forget! A dystopian vision of the future inspires courage and presence for a Writer

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Val Waldron; The Homecoming

Ungagged Winter Fiction; A story of a family mystery about identity and loss, from the 2nd World War

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Val Waldron; Say it Ain’t So, Jo

 

 Denial, Delusion and Illusion. GE 2019

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{Mhairi Hunter: Reflections On The Election.}

{ It is not in Scotland’s interests, even as an independent country, to see our closest neighbour and ally become a political basket case. }

{“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead}

{All joking aside… the English Election results are a disaster for us all…}

Thank-you to all of our activists and supporters who helped in our non-party political General Election 2019 campaign to inform the people of East Dunbartonshire about their former MP’s Westminster record. 

What has happened politically in England is an absolute disaster. Politics in England have taken a sinister lurch to the extreme right. England has left Scotland. Our paths are completely divergent. Scotland has voted centre left, and decisively so. England for a party that is about to crash the economy, and impoverish many more thousands of people.

Ungagged, a small group of activists from around the world, but with a large core in Scotland took the decision to concentrate our small resources on one Scottish constituency – East Dunbartonshire. Money donated by followers, readers and podcast listeners, (please help by donating here) helped us buy 9000 leaflets (for just over £200). We distributed 8500 of them (the weather beat us in the end!), but we hope that those leaflets persuaded at least one of the 146 people who took Amy Callaghan over the line to be that constituencies new MP. 

We change the world, one person at a time.  And one thoughtful person can change other’s minds… and that is how we win.

{Absolutely well played The SNP. In the constituency, your activist and new MP, Amy (@AmyCallaghanSNP on twitter), worked her socks off for weeks, as did your local activists. East Dunbartonshire SNP are a powerhouse and are inspirational activists. We were proud to lend some support.}

 

{George Collins: Resistance In Punjab: Lessons On Power From A Small Sikh Village}

Sikh’s are fighting to have a recognised state

 

{Ungagged support the campaign to unseat Liberal Democrat leader, Jo, from the East Dunbartonshire constituency.  Please contact us if you would like to be involved in helping that campaign.  One of our collective has written about Swinson’s record and says, ITS TIME TO GO, JO}

 

 

{Tory on Acid}

 

On Robert Reich’s The Psychology of Fascism

{The Psychology Of Fascism}

 

{From Catalonia to the Calton}

{Scott Bevin interviews Catalan Activist, Valentina Servera Clavell}

 

{Oprah, The KKK, The Left And Total And Utter Confusion…}

House of Horrors by Colin Burnett

Colin Burnett has written a darkly humorous piece on the seedy side of The Bookies, to kick off Ungagged’s Fiction series. [read more]

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{The Racist Bolivian Coup}

 

Lula Da Silva
{Lula spoke today at the Metal Workers Union SMABC.}

Lula is Free!

{Lula is Free!}

The Forgotten

30 years on from the fall of the Berlin wall, Val Waldron takes a dystopian look back at Totalitarianism [read more]

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{So an election?}

The General Election, a view by Mhairi Hunter. {Read More}

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{The George Collins Book Club – Lost At School}

George Collins reviews Dr Ross W. Greene’s renowned work on how to help young people with Behavioral Challenges at school. {Read More}

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{Borders. Teaching Valuable Global Citizens In Glasgow {Its What I Do…}

Wosdec.org.uk

“…how I try to break down borders in my pedagogy, and how in doing so, the children can become empowered agents of change both in their own lives and in the world outside and I a few examples of what I do and how I do them in my class…” By Neil Scott   [Read More]

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{Inertia to the Left of me Zombies to the Right}

Image by Debra Torrance

Val Waldron searches in the murky cauldron of UK politics for a better alternative. {Read More}

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Upstart Scotland; Early Learning and Childcare Project

Hilary Long -Upstart Trustee and co-ordinator of Upstart Glasgow Network compares Nordic Early Learning and Childcare systems with the current Scottish system, and proposes changes based on Wellbeing. [Read More]

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Representing Robert…

Catriona Stevenson hits back at those who misrepresent Scottish History in the media – and defends our most recent iconic films. [Read More]

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Project Mejkangati: and how an indigenous group in the Amazon is fighting to protect bees

Nathália Urban has spoken to Project Mejkangati (which works with indigenous population in the Amazon about honey production) and learned about their current struggles. [Read More]

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A Spoonful of Blood

Val Waldron examines how nostalgia can provide fertile soil for bad decisions and outcomes [Read More]

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Scottish Councillor Jim exposes corruption on West Dunbartonshire Council… HERE

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Ungagged Review: Drag 101

Debra Torrance explores the current drag scene in Scotland. [Read More]

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Brazil – “Tinder of Books”, How Donating a Book Can Be an Anti-Racist Action

In Brazil, the presence of black people in higher education has made some recent advances with the introduction of affirmative actions and other social programs, but in academia the racial portrait is one of greater inequality… by Natalia Urban [Read More]

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Born To Destroy… And Born To Create.

Today’s rebels just might save the world by Neil Scott [(Read More]

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Poetry Page

We have created a new page for poetry. It starts with three pieces of spoken word and poetry. We have other poetry already on our site and links to them will be added soon. Linda Devlin – The Dance – Linda uses a Dance metaphor to describe the change in Mood Music from everyday life to fascism. [Read More] The People’s Palace. A Cathedral. Muriel Baker’s poem about the Glasgow museum The People’s Palace. [Read More] Debra Torrance in this You Tube video performs her spoken word piece. She starts by talking about her first jobs, go watch and see where it goes from there. She performed it at meetings for the Scottish Indyref in 2014 but says it’s still relevant today. [Watch on You Tube]

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Gleichschaltung – Or, “How The Left Helped Unite The Racists.”

What Gordon Brown SHOULD have said… by Neil Scott [Read More]

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The Battles Go On

An imagined Dialogue between Mary Barbour and her Rent Striking “Army” by Gail Winters [Read More]

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Poem – The People’s Palace. A Cathedral, by Muriel Baker.

A poem about Glasgow’s People’s Palace. [Read More]

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Who are “The Working Class” today?

Val Waldron asks who the Working Class are in the 21st Century and how we can use our understanding to oppose inequality. [Read More]

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Labor Day Thoughts: The Lost Art Of Protest

George Collins tells us why Labor Day needs to restart workers activism. [Read More]

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Is the SNP no longer fit for purpose as a party for Scottish independence?

Opinion – Sam Hamad: Grassroots want CHANGE. The long read [Read More]

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As Boris Johnson aims to ‘suspend’ Parliament, lets assess the Twitter damage of this ‘very British coup’

image of Boris Johnson Brian Finlay takes a look at what’s been happening on Twitter today over Boris Johnson’s proroguing of the UK Parliament. [Read More]

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Please Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland can and must do more to stand in solidarity with the people of Brazil

Image of Brasil with a candles on it. With the bold words the Amazon is on fire. Nathalia Urban writes an important letter for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. [Read More]

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Zombie Stalinism: 25 Years Later, Who Wants The Berlin Wall Back?

Duncan Chapel discusses on the up coming 30th Anniversary of demonstrations that led to the reunification of Germany whither some socialists want to go back to the past. [Read More]

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Unite was right to pull out of Pride Glasgow because of its ‘commercialisation’

Brian Finlay looks into the commercialisation of Pride Glasgow. [Read More]

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ASDA are the Latest in the Tory Fight against our Rights…

Chris McCusker discusses the current changes to ASDA workers contracts. [Read More]

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The Chinese Economic Model: Threat or Future

Beinn Irbhinn looks into the rise of Chinese Economic model and the implications for the West. [Read More]

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Butterflies And Wish Trees, Wasp Bikes And Big Pokey Sticks

On Wings Over Scotland’s Latest Snake Oil…

Opinion from Debra Torrance: I was actually writing a very patriotic and in depth article about this Ungagged Tweet. However my being mired in depressive nostalgia of my potential close ancestors “emigrating” was interrupted by a foul stench. [MORE HERE]

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On The Origin Of Desert Eagles

George Collins discusses the causes of widespread gun violence in the U.S. [Read More]

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Complicity on Destruction- International companies are profiting over the destruction of the Amazon

Nathália Urban on European companies & Brazil’s Bolsonaro’s far-right, climate-damaging agenda, profiting over the destruction of the environment & indigenous genocide.

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Opinion: Neil Scott on the “Minister of the Union”.

Neil Scott looks into the self pronounced “Minister of the Union”. [Read More]

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Illiberal Democrat

Opinion: Sam Hamad on Jo Swinson. [More Here]

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Scottish Drug Deaths – An Analysis 

This week it was announced that 1,187 drug-related deaths were registered in Scotland in 2018, the largest number ever recorded. This caused a shockwave to run through Scottish politics, though it wasn’t such a shock to those on the front line who knew the figures would be terrible.  [MORE HERE]

by Glasgow Councillor Mhairi Hunter

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Protesters Targeted By High Speed Car – One Protester Killed. More HERE

MST Logo

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Valerie Zen on Putin’s Russia

Valerie Zen in interview with Rachael Horwitz talks on Russia; political prisoners, Crimea, environmental protests & domestic violence law. [Read More]

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Is UK Democracy about false promises… or promises fulfilled?

Image from Odds Digest

From Allan Grogan; The political landscape has never been vaguer or indeed more frightening on this island. Watch the latest edition of Question Time to hear the audience boo comments suggesting that a mild mannered, pro equality gardener with a penchant for jam be anything other than a disrespectful terrorist who is a danger to the UK while we await a vote between the current Foreign Secretary, who sold more of the NHS than 99% of previous Health Secretaries… or… well Boris Johnson. How depressing is that? [MORE…]

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Caiçaras Traditional Lifestyle, And Livelihood, Under Threat From Bolsonaro’s Brazil

Brazil: Caiçaras house destroyed

Nathália Urban discusses Bolsonaro’s policies threaten the traditional inhabitants of the coastal regions of the South Eastern and Southern Brazil. Yesterday, three houses of caiçaras in the ecological station Juréia- Itatins, Brazil, were demolished by state agents on the grounds that they occupied an illegal area… [Read More]

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One Big Activist University; the SSP 1999-2007

SSP, G8, Make Poverty History march, Edinburgh 2005

Neil Scott on the SSP entering the Scottish Parliament in twenty years ago… [Read More]

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Nathália Urban Reviews “The Edge of Democracy”

Nathália Urban reviews Petra Costa’s movie about the rise of the extreme right in Brazil. [Read More]

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Equality for Women… Thrash ’em all…

Val Waldron discusses Mark Field’s ‘ejection’ of a female protester at the Mansion House Dinner. [Read More]

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This is what a British Trump looks like

David McClemont looks at what Boris has said in the past. [Read More]  

No Brendan O

Brian Finaly’s rebuttal of Spiked Online’s Editor Brendan O’Neill’s article on the homophobic attack on a bus in London on May 30. [Read More]

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The Forgotten – Winter Writing Competition – Winner – Benny Allen

    Benny used the title of The Forgotten created a story that satisfied every criteria we set… The story starts; “Your name is Charlie Southwark and today you’re breaking rules. With you, a bunch of people sharing the same, daily thirty-minute bus ride to work. Bodies so intertwined you can sniff all-day-fresh rolling stick deodorant and a whiff of cigarettes passengers puffed before hopping on. One big smelly mess travelling forty miles per hour.” Have a listen and see what happens next…

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Tariq Ali – The Clash of Fundamentalisms – George Collins Book Club Review

George Collins reviews Tariq Ali’s book The Clash of Fundamentalisms. [Read More]

There ain’t no party like a Brexit Party, unless you’re a homosexual or an immigrant

  Brian Finlay discusses Anne Widdecombe’s statement on SKY TV; “science may produce an answer at some stage” to homosexuality. [Read More]

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On Jo Swinson and Glasgow’s Attainment Challenge

Mhairi Hunter describes how wrong Jo Swinson is about how Scotland (and Glasgow) are tackling the effects of child poverty on young people’s educational progression. [Read More]

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Your Country needs you!

Val Waldron takes us on journey discovering the far right from 2006 and Blairite stasis to Yaxley Lennon not winning a seat in the May 19 EU elections. [Read More]

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Labour’s Love Lost

Teresa Durran discusses what could happen to the Labour party in England if Brexit leads to Scottish & Welsh independence. [Read More]

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In Which I Try To Feel Sorry For Theresa May

Mhairi Hunter tries to understand Teresa May as a woman and as a human being who has been through a torrid time. [Read More]  

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Áurea Carolina Speaks Out: “Brazil Has Become An Even More Threatening Country For Those Who Fight For Their Rights.”

Interview of Áurea Carolina by Nathália Urban. Deputy Áurea Carolina is one of the main voices of the resistance in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies. [Read More]

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Why I can’t stand with ‘stand with’

Teresa Durran explores the recent use of the phrase “stand with” to show support for a cause, or for a person. She doesn’t like it! [Read More]  

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Ungagged Team

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Ungagged Art

Have a look at our very talented artists here

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