1. GENERAL REPORT
It was decided at the RIC Edinburgh Organising Committee
held on 21.12.15 to move away from the regular monthly meetings, since the
numbers attending had fallen off. This was explained by the lack of any
immediate prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum. The various
political organisations and campaigns, which had formed RIC, were now mainly
concentrating on their own activities.
Edinburgh RIC would now organise occasional meetings around
significant political topics, and would seek national support for holding a
second Scotland's Radical History conference in 2016. Edinburgh-RIC would
continue to act as a 'clearing house' providing information and taking banner
to the wider campaigns it had supported during the referendum campaign.
RIC-Edinburgh delegates to the last National Forum had
expressed their concern about the expense of trying to obtain a major venue for
the national conference in February. However, RIC-Aberdeen had made a generous
offer to underwrite this conference, so it was now fully supported by
RIC-Edinburgh.
2. RIC CONFERENCE,
ASSEMBLY ROOMS, EDINBURGH, 20.2.16
RIC-Edinburgh provided most of the organising personnel on
the day of the conference. In addition RIC-Edinburgh paid for the creche and
donated £30 badge sales to help pay the costs. Most money was raised from
conference fees. New RIC-Edinburgh members were signed up on the day taking
membership up to 100.
There were about 230 people in attendance, and there was
unanimous feeling amongst the RIC-Edinburgh organisers that it had been a
successful event. The conference had smaller numbers in attendance than on previous
years, but this was compensated for by the greater ability to participate and
the higher level of discussions in most sessions. The Sunday Herald had picked up on the conference and highlighted the call
for a second referendum involving the forces RIC had mobilised the first time
round.
3. EURO-REFERENDUM,
JUNE 23rd
The political topic that RIC-Edinburgh has decided to
concentrate on is the Euro-referendum. It was agreed to organise three debates
in the run-up to the June 23rd.
a) February 4th
- Alistair Black (RISE), Donny Gluckstein (SWP) and Myrto Tsakatika (RISE) gave
'Remain' and 'Leave' arguments. This was followed by break-out sessions. 50
people attended. (see http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/report-back-from-ric-edinburgh-eu_13.html)
b) March 24th -
Economic Fundamentals - Andy Anderson (author of The Skye Bridge Story) (see http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/economic-fundamentals.html).
22 people attended.
c) May 26th -
Foreign Policy Implications. (also sponsored by Edinburgh Stop the War Campaign
and Scottish Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom). Frances Guy (former ambassador to Yemen)
Jonathon Shafi (RISE), Lindsay German (Stop the War Campaign) and speaker from
SWILPF.
In addition RIC-Edinburgh provided 2 of the speakers. Allan
Armstrong (Remain) and Neil Davidson (Leave) for the debate at the national RIC
conference on February 20th.
4. SCOTLANDS RADICAL
HISTORY CONFERENCE
RIC-Edinburgh would lie to organise the second Scotland's
Radical History conference, with a suggested date of Saturday, June 11th. The 2
themes would be:-
a) The 1915
Glasgow Rent Strike
b) Scotland and the 1916 Rising
Allan Armstrong, RIC-Edinburgh Minutes Secretary, 12.4.16
