RIC and the People’s Vow

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The Radical Independence will continue to be a radical campaign, and it will continue to go from strength to strength, because we have seen what happens when a movement like ours gains momentum.

We can rattle the brittle bones of the British state. We can maintain the steady growth of support for independence that we have seen since the 18th of september. We have changed politics forever – and the centre of power at Westminster cannot and will not hold.

The story does not end here. We have made a People’s Vow, based around the roots of the Radical Independence Campaign and its five founding principles.

Our founding principles give us a map to move forward:

Firstly, we will prepare a people’s budget to demand that Scottish public services are protected from any cuts- because we will not let ordinary people suffer any longer for errors and greed of bankers and politicians. We will campaign for people everywhere to have a dignified and decent standard of living. Our movement will endorse higher wages and deeper investment over greed and back slapping bonus cultures. Social justice campaigners everywhere, whether in Edinburgh, London, Cardiff, Dublin or Barcelona, can expect our full support because our challenges are international.

Secondly, we will not let anyone sell off our natural resources to the highest bidder. We demand that the Scottish government use planning laws to stop fracking. We will engage in a campaign of direct action against any company that tries to undermine our capacity for a civilised, Green future.

Third, we will hold a demonstration for radical land reform and demand an end to Scotland’s feudal legacy. We won’t tolerate communities being left at the mercy of corrupt landlords. Our land will support our goals of sustainability and social justice: it won’t be used as hunting and fishing estates for aristocrats and tax exiles. Scotland’s people must have the power to own and control our resources.

Fourth, we will reiterate that equality is not a buzzword and we demand positive action to reverse inequalities between women and men: any politician who fails to take this seriously will be punished. Our better Scotland will abandon the macho political culture of Westminster and the machismo so engrained in the city of London. Scotland’s institutions and workplaces must be representative of Scotland as a whole. Fifty-fifty representation for men and women is a minimum; equality is compulsory, not an afterthought.

Fifth, we will not allow NATO to use Scotland as a dumping ground for Nuclear Weapons: There is huge gulf between popular opinion and Westminster on the question of Trident- we don’t want Trident in our waters, or in any country’s waters- we will support an intensive campaign of civil disobedience against Trident to highlight that. Nor will we tolerate laws that put our vital public services in peril to global corporations. TTIP is wrong for Scotland just as it is wrong for ordinary people on both sides of the Atlantic. We pledge our opposition to TTIP in Scotland.
Finally: our lasting promise – our own oath – is to each other. And that extends beyond our existing ranks too: we will go from here and reach out to the 55% who weren’t quite ready this time, but who can be a part of the victories to come.

Comments (18)

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  1. Chris Clay says:

    your founding principles express all that i hope i live long enough to see in action not just in Scotland but in ever increasing numbers of countries around the world…let scotland’s people be the trailblazers for other peoples to follow

  2. Norrie Hunter says:

    Cat gave a powerful speech after Alan Bisset and both recieved standing ovations when this vow was read out. It was almost felt like an unofficial constituion which delegates were delighted to hear

  3. Guillaume says:

    As an SNP member I can just say that the RIC contributions made at all of the YES debates I attended were like a breath of fresh air. Having just listened to Sunday Politics on iplayer with the labour leadership candidates they quote the very same ideals the YES campaign had for independence and try to assume ownership of them. Having let Scotland down for decades and lied blatantly for our referendum they actually believe we will be foolish enough to vote them into power in 2016. We must send 59 MP’s all of whom must have “YES” DNA. there must be agreement at the highest level in all the respective groupings, RIC, SNP, Greens,SSP and the occasional independant if its appropriate. The work starts now and we must remain focused on Independence and success in the 2015 election as a starter for real change.

  4. Reblogged this on Bugis Melayu and commented:
    Eksposisi Bella Calledonia _

  5. Fay Kennedy. says:

    Scotland is showing the way to a better future. It’s like a breath of fresh air to hear people express decent thoughts and ideas for a change.

  6. Onwards says:

    “Scotland’s people must have the power to own and control our resources.”

    This is where Norway has shown the way.

    It is a disgrace that a relatively small country with large resources has such inequality.

  7. Graham Hendry says:

    ‘Fifty-fifty representation for men and women is a minimum; equality is compulsory, not an afterthought.’

    However well intentioned, this comes across as authoritarian. Who is to enforce this compulsion? Would it require a degree of populism to see it through?

    I would recommend the writer has a look at the criticisms that the feminist Luce Irigaray made of the ideas of the feminist Simone de Beauvoir, especially concerning the notions of choice and subjectivity.

    Would it be that if a particular gender tended not to opt to seek representation in an institution or workplace it would fall to someone or a group of people to force them to? The State?

    Perhaps the qualification ‘is a minimum’ requires clarification too.

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  10. unionist says:

    Fantasy.

  11. tonyroz says:

    fantastic vow Cat. The third point caught my eye. The feudal structure of land ownership is the root of the problem. Vast areas of our land are nothing but playgrounds for the elite and as a consequence our local communities are dying out. What is it that compels these people to kill wild animals for personal pleasure? Out of control rent demands, whipped up by the Lairs Henchmen, which tenant farmers have no choice but to pay. The clever bit though, is how the Lairds have created division within our communities, using people, issuing crumby rewards to those who inform and hold council. Everything must be done to break up these vast monopolies of land.

    1. ruagaire says:

      the land on which we stand is our most valued resource

  12. GAez oor country back Ya Colonial Thieves says:

    Dear Unionist: this is a vision of where we are heading and where we will get to with Independence. The hunting shooting fishing colony of Scotland still exists and holds us back from joining the modern world but the time of the feudal elites and their delusional ‘immortal’ never-go-bust financial buddies who leech off the people when they crash OUR economy – their days are coming to an end. Parasites dont live forever. Great pledge Cat. Well done you guys. Let’s keep all politicians FEET TO THE FIRE here in Scotland too. No compromise of fundamental principles.

  13. It is not a vision but a blurry image in the carnivals hall of mirrors offering distorted views of reality.

    Just one amongst many articles on the blog against nationalism.

    http://socialist-courier.blogspot.com/2014/11/oppose-nationalism.html

  14. Alex says:

    Here’s a video of the vow for anybody that hasn’t seen it yet:

    http://ow.ly/Fvd6s

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