Corruption Disarmament Poetry Privilege Tory Party Ungagged Writing Val Waldron

The War in Black and White by Val Waldron

I thought that wars were fought in black and white. That soldiers, sailors, airmen soared into victorious flight or landed on beaches handsome, intact and survived to marry a virgin sweetheart   Who knew how many lived and died waist high in blood, shit and mud, snatched moments of battle-weary sleep beside friends, sometimes just […]

Campaigns Disability Rights Equality & Inclusion Health Human Rights Left Politics Stephanie Melnick Ungagged Writing

Disability and the Left By Stephanie Melnick

To win disabled people over, the left needs to change the rhetoric. We cannot mirror the Right’s idea of “useless eaters”. If we truly want to create a better future, we need to find a way to make a world where everyone can live happily – including those who cannot work. A few weeks ago, […]

Brexit Campaigns Climate & Environment Democracy Elections Fascism Immigration Politics of Hate Scotland Scottish Independence Tory Party Trade Unions Ungagged Writing Val Waldron

As Close to Federalism As The Moon

If the federalism shills couldn’t see this coming, they really weren’t looking. This move essentially leaves Labour without even the pretence of argument for the reformable UK that we’ve been promised since 2014. We’re as close to federalism as we are to the moon, and thus concludes the centre ground arguments against independence.  Take time […]

Climate & Environment Industry Left Politics Maggie Chapman Scottish Greens Ungagged Writing

North East communities must lead Scotland’s Just Transition 

This last July saw the 34th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, in which 167 people needlessly lost their lives. Workers on two nearby platforms, Claymore and Tartan which pumped to Piper Alpha, could see that the platform they were pumping to was alight. But they had been told never to shut off the oil […]