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Scottish Anarchism
by Ian Heavens
Anarchism in Scotland has been surprisingly strong, given the
numerically small anarchist movement in the U.K. George Woodcock
doesn't cover it in [1], but mentions that Glasgow and London
were the traditional centres of British anarchism. John Quail [2]
describes the formation of anarchist groups in Paisley, Dundee and
Glasgow, in 1903, and later in Edinburgh; a single edition of a
syndicalist paper, the Voice of Labour, was produced, and the
Dundee anarchists tried to reform the jute workers' union along federalist
lines.
Tom Mann's 'Industrial Syndicalist', [4] produced in 1910-11, had supporters
in Glasgow. The Glasgow Anarchist Group, formed by George Barrett
and John Paton, had fifty members in 1911, including Willie Gallacher,
who was later elected M.P. for Fife as a Communist. The group was
active in a seamen's strike, expanded and produced a weekly paper,
with 34 issues between May 1912 and early 1913.
The veteran British anarchist Guy Aldred lead a free speech fight on
Glasgow Green in 1924 ([3]). The Glasgow Anarchist Group had around
sixty members in 1944; Charlie Baird was the secretary, and other
activists included Robert Lynn and Eddie Shaw. Interestingly, the
ideas of both Stirner and Kropotkin were much discussed ('most of the
comrades could accept the philosophy of Egoism and dovetail it into
the Syndicalist tendency within the movement'). In Glasgow,
weekly meetings were held outside Yarrow's, John Brown's and Blythswood
shipyards, Dalmuir Ordnance Factory, in Paisley, Hamilton and on the
Mound in Edinburgh.
This tradition continues; Class War is active in both Glasgow and
Edinburgh (there is a Class War Postal Workers section in Glasgow),
the Anarchist Black Cross has a Scottish section, there are several
anarchist publishers [5] (Counter Information and A K Press in Edinburgh),
It isn't clear whether the Anarchist Communist Federation,
the Direct Action Movement or Green Anarchists have support in Scotland.
The Glasgow Anarchist Summer School, May 29th-30th, is being organised
by, among others, the same Robert Lynn (now 69) and the son of
Charlie Baird ('event organised by Summer School group drawn from
Glasgow Class War, Counter Information, Free University Network,
Libertarian Social Committee and individual anarchists and libertarian
socialists').
[1] 'Anarchism: A History of Libertarian Ideas And Movements', by George
Woodock, 2nd edition, 1986, Pelican (ISBN 0-14-022697-4).
[2] 'The Slow Burning Fuse: The Lost History of the British Anarchists'
by John Quail, 1978, Paladin (ISBN 0 586 08225 5)
[3] 'Workers City: The Real Glasgow Stands Up', ed. Farquhar McLay, 1988
Clydeside Press (ISBN 0 9512057 22)
[4] 'The Industrial Syndicalist', introduced by Geoff Brown, Spokesman
Books (ISBN 85124 082 8)
[5] 'Anarchist Yearbook 1993', Phoenix Press (ISBN 0 948984 25 2)