No to Nationalism

The fear of ‘the others’, fear of people we don’t understand permeates the thoughts of the British nationalist Brexit voter. This fear is man-made, developed by the owning class to undermine working class solidarity. Prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, racism, hatred and xenophobia have spread like insidious contagious diseases. The media demonise and denigrating the poor while attacking the migrant worker. The interests of fellow-workers have become secondary to many people who are actually good working class people, simply blinded by unfounded fear. That is a disturbing reality.  It is suffocating the empathy and understanding of the plight of the migrant worker, the vulnerable and the poor. There are those who were in the trenches with the working class, who are now fighting against the worker, shoulder-to-shoulder with the enemy of the working class. They are openly wearing their prejudices on their sleeve. The hold a sense of belonging which brings a sense of security and protection. A belief that in the ‘protectors’ – the one’s who are loudest attacking ‘the others’ will keep us safe from harm. People must stop allowing the irrational fear of others to guide their beliefs, opinions, and decisions and, instead, notice the attacks on all workers. Otherwise, the ruling class may win and destroy everything the working class has fought for, were jailed for and died for. It should be clear that you don’t move towards the unity of the world working class movement - a unity that must be forged if we are to win any significant victory over a vicious capitalism - by dividing the actually existing unity of the working class in Britain along national lines.

Nationalism is diverting working people from their historic mission. History shows that is dangerous for socialists to flirt with nationalism. The result is usually a boost for nationalism and a defeat for socialism.  What is at stake is not merely electoral success or failure, but whether the idea of nationalism triumphs over the ideas and values of socialism. The most important division in society is not one between England and Scotland. It is between those who create the wealth and those who own it. Only by going back to first principles of workers' organisation of political education, using the collective strength of a united working class irrespective of gender, race or nationality will we be able to challenge the status quo. Socialists need to win the argument against independence within the labour movement – if we fail to do so then we will have lost for decades to come. Nationalism is the antithesis of socialism. Only by doing so will we build support for an alternative future which is much closer to the values of democratic socialism than it is to anything nationalism has to offer. Today, one of the most tragic features of the left is that many accommodate people who are utterly reactionary just because they are militant nationalists. But they are anti-working-class forces through and through. It should be obvious that any divide will weaken the potential for a working class fight back against austerity. Workers in Scotland are no longer urged to look to their comrades south of the border for solidarity and a common project to win pro-working class reforms but instead urged to look to their fellow Scots in a national movement for Scottish independence. However the fact that the independence movement is funded and supported by a significant section of the Scottish elite such as billionaire Brian Souter of Stagecoach.  This should be an indication and a warning that the Scottish independence movement is no friend of the Scottish working class. The Socialist Party understands the unity of the working class is required to transcend capitalism. Left-nationalists downplay the likelihood that the establishment of an independent Scottish state will lead to the weakening of the British working class. Support for both British and Scottish nationalism has grown in consequence of working class defeats. The fact that the labour movement in Britain has so far failed to produce any real fight back against growing inequality, food banks, benefit sanctions, zero-hour contracts, housing shortages has allowed the nationalists to gain increased traction among working people.  The SNP has been able to pose left on such matters and hides behind the excuse of Westminster control in order to justify its own austerity measures.

The SNP has a difficult balancing act to perform. It must try to win over Scottish workers to independence while reassuring companies and corporations that sovereignty will be “business friendly” and that the working class will be kept firmly quiescent. It must make promises to workers that it knows it can’t keep so it keeps the promises vague and non-specific. Workers, of course, will be encouraged to line up to support their respective bosses. Not a good environment for the development of a united fight back against austerity. Unfortunately, its reformist posturing has not been challenged by the SSP or Solidarity who have provided an important service to the SNP by echoing the SNP's claim that independence will produce a fairer society and by promoting the SNP as a party to the left of Labour. They don’t want to rock the pro-independence boat or help dispel the illusion that the SNP is a progressive party. That would harm the independence cause to which they are now irretrievably wedded so silence is their best option.

The task for socialists in all countries, whether that be Scotland or Britain is indeed independence - not of nations but of the working class. This class independence is the very foundation of the struggle for socialism. Scottish nationalism and the call for independence throws up yet another barrier to achieving a socialist society.