Beating the bankers - alternatives to austerity: Spring Conference 11 March 2012

The Morning Star Spring conference will take place on Sunday 11 March 2012 in the STUC Building, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow G3 (Kelvinbridge Underground). 
Click here for Conference Programme as pdf

The conference will be chaired by Pauline Bryan.

Programme
10.45 Registration


11.00 CHAIR’S OPENING REMARKS

11.15 OPENING PLENARY
ALTERNATIVES TO AUSTERITY
Lynn Henderson, Jackson Cullinane, Stephen Boyd, Andrew Murray

12.30 LUNCH

1.00 WORKSHOPS
a) Alternative economic and political strategies and the People’s Charter for Scotland
Phil McGarry, Vince Mills and Andrew Murray

b) Opposing the Cuts: local government and benefits
Stephen Smellie and Tom Morrison

c) The Role of the EU
John Foster and Eddie McGuire

2.15 CLOSING PLENARY
BEATING THE BANKERS
Lilian Macer, Drew Smith MSP, SNP representative, John Foster



Scotland is just entering its second year of austerity cuts – now extended to 2017 by the Tory-led government in Westminster. Services, pensions and real wages all face devastating reductions. A new wave of benefit cuts start this April.


These cuts are disastrous not just socially but economically. Over a third of Scottish firms say they have already been directly hit. Many more will be hit by the resulting recession. The depth of popular anger was revealed by the strikes and demonstrations on 30 November.

Our Spring conference will examine how this movement of opposition can be sustained and developed. In particular it will consider how to turn the tide of propaganda against the government – to show that there are alternatives to austerity that are not just practical but essential if our productive economy is to survive and our communities are not to disintegrate. The government’s ‘austerity’ policies, by contrast, reflect just two things: a political agenda to privatise what remains of the public sector – and the interests of City bankers desperate to maximise government funds available to act as collateral for their continued speculations.

There will be workshops on the new People’s Charter for Scotland, on how to oppose the cuts in services and benefits and on the wider crisis within the EU and its current drive to suppress all political alternatives to austerity.


Click here for Conference Programme as pdf

Our class, Our Culture: Scottish Morning Star Education programme Spring 2012

OUR CLASS – OUR CULTURE
Scottish Morning Star Education programme - Spring 2012


Click here for Education Programme as pdf


Bathgate
Tuesday 7 February
Acredale Centre, Main St
7 pm
Poetry And The Working Class
Speaker: Alistair Findlay
Chair Jim Swan


Blantyre
Wednesday 15 February,
Miners Welfare, Calder St.
7 pm
Caterpillar Occupation – 25th Anniversary
Speaker: John Gillen
Chair Stephen Smellie


Dundee
Tuesday 6 March
Dva, 10 Constitution Street
7 pm
James Connolly
Speaker: Tommy Campbell
Chair Mike Arnot


Edinburgh
Thursday 15 March
Augustine Centre, 41 George IV Bridge
7 pm
Connolly On Class, Nation And Religion
Speaker: John Foster
Joint With Edinburgh Festival Of Ireland


Ayr
Tuesday, 3 April
7 pm
Ex-Service Club, Academy St
The Wallacewell Occupation 1982-2012 
Speaker: Alex Baird
Chair Jackson Cullinane


Clydebank
Tuesday 1 May
7 pm
Hub, Kilbowie Rd
Music And The Working Class Movement
Speaker: Professor Bill Sweeney
Chair George Kilpatrick


Edinburgh
Wednesday 6 June
7 pm
Augustine Centre, 41 George IV Bridge
William Morris And The Socialist League
Speaker: Richard Leonard
Chair Liz Elkind