'extremist' nationalism.
he debate around the party's archy proposed Scottish consticution.
ate a conscuational monarchy under parliamentary soveresgnity.
debate in un obviously coHouse of Windsor. Even the party, Arthur Donaldson, trundled our to explain to delagates how the SNP had "always: From a fringe group of poets and small business people ten years ago, the Scottish National Party has become West Europe's fastest growing political party. The object of the conference in Dundee last month was to consolidate this growth, and to shed the hangovers from earlier This was seen at its clearest in supported the principle of moo- behalf of private capital It envisaged no real change in an radicalism was the support it independent Seocland's political gave to the proposal to have has just appointed its first fullto model Scotland on the politics MANAGED The rest of the conference was • stage mannged affair, which did not exclude differences. Given the teal prosnect of parlamentary and tillcal gains for the SP, petty jealousies and rivalries abound.
Inside a boargeois party like be SP, the terms Heft o right' amount to little. Doeat Stewart, their partiamentary leader and a parochini reactionary of the first order, Is vehemeatly opposed to the Social Costruct. The su-called left winger" Margo McDonald argued ut lengib ugainst any joint nature, and with a firm commiteconomy, the 5NP is now confiBERY ASSETTE TE DOUCH HO British 'justice' In the north of Ireland struck again on 27 May. In a Belfast court a judge jailed four members of the Loyalist paramilitary Ülster Volunteer Forces for were only given suspended sentences. This Is in spite of the fact that all admitted various firearm offences and membership of the UVF.
La confession.
Such examples of British juscice help to explain the renewed determination of women in the Belfast Cathole ghero of Turf Lodge to resist the British Army.
They declared last week that the will not jolerate this physica by these uniformed thug and harrizades to black the lives of our children, and we repeat 30n — you ciled Loo Norney, you killed Brian Sieshomes, you are destroying our The Brash Army UHAS In ir have tilled sounded rheir las; person on Turf Lodge We the wome wil erstre you stay put of the urca.
Pur and parcel of this is the The nearest the party gor in party's aim of winning support time trade union organiser. Steve itution. It was spoiled when the Butler, an ex-ASTMS stewar Like so many others in th pany. Baler takes his mod From Scandanavia and has Bo difficulty in seeing the interests of management and labour as reconcilable, although there i a *grey ares where conflict is often inevitable', He claims, probably correctly, to have paper mem bers" in every single plant is Scotland. Butler's job is to get them organised.
MIDDLE CLASS But it would be wrong to exaggerate these trends. The active membership at consrituracy and regional ever is sou overw beins ingly middle coss, and hostile to any consistent involvement in the lubour movement.
So much so thar the party is actually opposed (privately, of olitical levy to the Labou confrontation that this would bring with the trade anion bur eaucracy, and the necessity it coctoral politics Scottish Socialist would provoke of Ening up in ae organised way outside percy As the SP conference proved time and time again, this is no party of flag waving lumpens. Its electoralism, is constitutionali500, and as Bosolely to sel organisution of uny kind. may vel prove is biggest weupon in larming wurking people agains!
incladed: with shackles in secret 6 SOCIALISTCHALLENGE 9June 1977 In GEOFF BELL
----- pull-quotes -----
BUILD A SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE