The new result of the Gratis North Campaign bulletin Northern Republic is available to download. Feedback and submissions for hereafter problems is welcome. Supporters are also encouraged to print off copies and circulate to agreeing friends and comrades. Download the latest event here.

Below is a letter from the Free Northward Entrada published in the Liverpool Echo today (15/05/2015).

echo letter

Below is a letter from a Free North Campaign supporter printed in the latest effect of the Weekly Worker.

fnc letter

The below quote from the Irish republican socialist James Connolly (1868 – 1916) sums up the core values of the Free North Campaign. The struggle for self-government is virtually worthless unless it based on a articulate commitment to radically extending democracy and maximising social and economical justice for the majority of citizens.

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UK'southward north-south divide has widened, says thinktank (The Guardian) http://world wide web.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/19/north-s-divide-widen-thinktank-data
Empty shops testify North-Due south divide (BBC News) http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31124506
Divided UK: for every 12 jobs created in the Due south, ane is lost in the North (The Independent) http://www.contained.co.u.k./news/uk/abode-news/divided-uk-for-every-12-jobs-created-in-the-south-one-is-lost-in-the-due north-9986656.html
Number of homeless soars by 20 per cent as campaigners blame 'callous' regime policies (Manchester Evening News) http://world wide web.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/number-homeless-soars-20-per-8491468

The howdy-tech trains Londoners will ride on while we make do with second-manus carriages (Liverpool Echo) http://www.liverpoolecho.co.united kingdom/news/liverpool-news/revealed—hi-tech-trains-londoners-8445710
Thousands of homes across the Northward were already waiting to downsize before Chamber Taxation came into force (The Chronicle) http://www.chroniclelive.co.britain/news/north-east-news/thousands-homes-across-north-were-8418310
Labour MP claims 'Westminster elite' of politicians think northerners are thick (The Mirror) http://www.mirror.co.u.k./news/uk-news/labour-mp-claims-westminster-elite-4900631
Tory candidate: calling yourself a northerner 'can pb to social apartheid' (Political Scrapbook) http://politicalscrapbook.net/2015/01/tory-candidate-defining-as-a-northerner-can-lead-to-social-apartheid-rebecca-coulson/

Yorkshire Commencement selects retired GP equally general election candidate for Calder Valley (The Huddersfield Daily Examiner) http://www.examiner.co.united kingdom/news/west-yorkshire-news/yorkshire-first-selects-retired-gp-8540276
'Enough is enough' – rebel councillor resigns from Labour party (Warrington Guardian) http://www.warringtonguardian.co.united kingdom/news/11751282._Enough_is_enough____rebel_councillor_resigns_from_Labour_party/

Frank Atkinson obituary – Inspirational creator of Beamish, an open-air museum devoted to the social and industrial history of the north of England (The Guardian) http://world wide web.theguardian.com/culture/2015/jan/02/frank-atkinson

One of the most interesting aspects of the Scottish referendum entrada was the way that political parties and organisations of diverse persuasions came together to fight for a mutual cause. It was no suprise to come across Labour, the Tories, the LibDems, the Orange Lodge, big business organisation and most of the British media unite to salve the Wedlock. Meanwhile, the pro-independence movement saw the SNP, the Greens, the Scottish Socialist Political party and various grassroots organisations, such as the Radical Independence Campaign, come together to promote the progressive case for self-decision.

South of the border, in that location are various organisations attempting to push greater regional autonomy and devolution for the North of England onto the political agenda.

• The Hannah Mitchell Foundationis named afterward a socialist suffragette and campaigns for "democratic regime in the N of England" inside a federal Uk. It has members from Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens and independents (and apparently a couple of Tories likewise).
• The Entrada for the North calls for a devo-max Northern regime, an aim we would support on the journey to full independence.
• The Free North Campaign – nosotros go further in calling for consummate Northern independence. Our political outlook is socialist and republican. We believe there is always a danger of nationalism becoming bigoted and reactionary unless it has a clear progressive agenda based on Left principles.

Various political parties have as well paid lip service to the idea of devolving power to the Northward and other regions. How seriously they actually take the thought is questionable and obviously dependant on party political interests.

The FNC believes there should be a broad coalition focussed on advancing the interests of the Northward. This coalition should exclude reactionary forces such every bit UKIP and the various Far Right groups that attempt to co-opt themselves onto campaigns as a means of advancing their ain divisive, supremacist agendas.

We recollect it makes sense for a new political party to be formed that would campaign for greater devolution and autonomy for the Northward of England and stand up for Northerners against the London-centric Westminster elite. We wouldn't wait such a party to fully encompass our socialist, republican and pro-independence ideals, but it should – at the very least – advance a regionalist agenda based on the values of social justice and economic prosperity for all, not just the few. Many European countries, notably Espana, have parties based on this model, while Britain has the likes of Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Political party and Mebyon Kernow in Cornwall.

We live in interesting times. If Northern devolution/autonomy is going to gain widespread grassroots support, we need to capture the imaginations of Northerners and non allow the debate to get lost in banal, bureaucratic jargon spouted past career politicians.

The Free Northward Entrada congratulates the people of Catalunya for the historic pace they take taken in their democratic struggle for freedom and independence. More than 2 million Catalans voted in the poll, with 80% expressing their wish that Catalunya should get contained from Spain. Although the referendum is not binding, it demonstrates that Catalans will not exist bullied into passive submission past the political elite in Madrid.

The FNC sends solidarity greetings to all pro-independence forces in Catalunya, peculiarly the grassroots organisations that made the vote happen and the Republican Left of Catalunya with whom nosotros share a political affinity.

Visca Catalunya!

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  • Although the final issue of Scotland'southward independence referendum was extremely disappointing, it was hugely inspiring to see the Yeah campaign mobilise a coalition of over ane.6 1000000 people to vote for self-determination and a positive vision of the time to come.
  • Early on assay of voting demographics reveals that the majority of people under the age of 55 voted Yep. This bodes well for a future independence referendum. Research into why people voted No shows that fear about the risks of leaving the UK, particularly over pensions and the pound, were major factors (much more and then than any emotional attachment to the U.k.). The areas with the biggest Yep votes had a loftier concentration of low income voters. Better Together aka Projection Fright won by blackmailing pensioners and the well-off into rejecting self-determination.edit-21288-1411118881-21
  • The moral bankruptcy and self-serving nature of the Labour Party has been laid bare for all to come across. The reactionary influence of Ed Miliband and his political party colleagues comes every bit no surprise to those of the states who view politics from a radical and independent Left perspective. Nosotros hope voters rightly punish them in future elections due north and south of the border.
  • It would exist wrong to suggest that the shameful behaviour of Loyalist mobs in Glasgow following the plebiscite event was representative of all Unionists. We should acknowledge, however, that the same emotional triggers that led to the No majority also fuel Loyalism: fright, pessimism, reactionary ideas and insecurity. The pro-Wedlock media and political parties should hang their heads in shame.
  • Despite the consequence, the Yep entrada – and particularly groups like the Radical Independence Entrada – should be an inspiration to those who believe that progressive politics is dead. Contrary to the claims of some in the Labour movement, they accept shown that aspiring to independence and self-conclusion is not the same as being a bigoted nationalist. The residue of the Left in U.k. will remain irrelevant unless it learns to become an engaging and inspiring strength for positive modify.
  • We never viewed Alex Salmond as a Messiah figure. Notwithstanding his dignified departure as First Minister removes from front-line politics i of the few progressive politicians to accept on and frighten the cosy Westminster elite. We hope his successor continues where he left off. Every bit he said in his resignation speech, the dream shall never die.

Today Scotland exercises sovereign power as a nation. We congratulate the pro-independence movement for running a positive, inspiring and inclusive entrada in the face up of scaremongering and blackmail from the No camp and the British political course, as well as almost completely hostile media coverage. Whichever way the vote goes, Scotland can be proud of what information technology has achieved and so far, showing the rest of the UK there is an culling to passively accepting the stifling and oppressive rule of Westminster. Skilful luck, and solidarity from your friends in the North!

cropped-scotland_big hqdefaultPrototype from the Solidarity with Scotland group.

It was disappointing to see a good socialist similar Dennis Skinner characterise supporters of Scottish independence as bigoted fools. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said: "I tin't sympathise some of the trade unionists falling for flag-waving in Scotland […] Nationalists divide working people when nosotros should be united." In the same staunchly pro-Labour newspaper, London-based hack Kevin Maguire wrote: "Instead of seeking alliances with the working course in Northern England and S Wales to create a ameliorate, fairer, decent Great britain, a parochial Left fringe in Scotland is allying itself to Alex Salmond that would abandon the low paid and jobless from Cornwall to Cumbria." Meanwhile, Nick Cohen, the left-wing political commentator who supported the invasion of Iraq, asks: "How can a union official call for English workers to support Scottish workers if England and Scotland are dissever countries?"

The thought that Scottish self-conclusion is somehow a betrayal of the rest of the British working-course suffering under Tory austerity is, of class, patronising and ridiculous. Scotland has been solidly non voting for the Conservatives for decades. Despite this they have had numerous Tory governments imposed on them thanks to voters largely concentrated in the south of England. Why should they keep to suffer just because the English Left can't get its deed together?

Skinner, Maguire and Cohen completely miss the indicate about how solidarity really works. The miners' strike of 1984-85 saw huge international support for the NUM'southward struggle against pit closures, showing that real solidarity is internationalist and not confined past national boundaries. They also seem to forget that there is already an autonomous Scottish TUC because Scotland is actually a separate country within the 'political spousal relationship' known as the Uk.

Scotland has a one time-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a nation based on social justice and immunise itself against Bourgeois dominion forever. This could reinvigorate British socialism and force the Labour Political party to stop taking its working-class supporters for granted. Recently information technology's been encouraging to see that calls for devolution of power to Northern England are now beingness taken seriously. This would not accept happened without the debate about Scottish independence. An independent Scotland would give united states of america the confidence to need greater autonomy from London dominion and build decentralised socialism at a grassroots, municipal and regional level. Continuing with the status quo volition get us all nowhere.