Greece: test case for "anti-terrorist"
stantial autonomous powers.
It will have full responsibility for health measures goes to appeal care, education, local government, economic development, environment, transport, law en-
George Balafas is serving the fourth case against George becomes, the forcement, and prison. Scotland will continue to have its own civil law and much of its own of murder, drug smuggling, and mem- The more people become convinced criminal law. The new body will control a budget of around £14 Billion. (US$22.5 bn.)
As well as powers to change legislation and alter local taxes on households and business, it will have powers to vary the rate of British income tax paid by residents of Scotland.
The British parliament will still control foreign, defence, fiscal, economic and monetary policy, company law and social security
Modernisation
The Scottish Parliament has been promoted by Britain's Labour Prime Minister Tony
Blair as the first of a series of steps to
"modernise' the British state, bring it into line with other European states. Scotland's new powers were often discussed in comparison
International Viewpoint year of a ten-year sentence on charges bership of the "terrorist" November 17th group. The authorities have made him a symbol of their determination to beat down the extreme left, which in Greece has a strong "street fighting" component. [See December 1997 issue].
The United States, which has "advisors" at every level of the Greek security services, is using the case to spearhead their "anti-terrorist" drive. One of their latest proposals is for "terrorism" suspects to be brought before court only to hear the confirmation of the sentence -imposed during a trial in their absence!
According to Zoe Chalidia of the Balafas solidarity committee, "the weaker the more inflexible the judges become.. that he is the victim of a frame-up, the more the authorities and their US "advisors" intervene in judicial procedures."
Balafas will appear before the Appeals Court on October 22nd. Formally the court will decide whether he was once a member of a terrorist group. In fact, his appearance will be another battle in the extremely polarised confrontation between Greece's discredited judicial system, and a militant, antiauthoritarian movement in defence of civil liberties. [ZC/JD] * Send protests to: Ministry of Justice, fax +30 1 7758742, with copy to Eleftherotypla newspaper, fax 9028311. Contact: G. Balafas Solidarity Committee, Valtetsiou 35, Exarhia, 10681, Athens. © +30 1 7753979, fax 6745302
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Keir Hardie, the founder of Britain's Labour party was also a leader of the Scottish Home Rule association. The Scottish Trade Union Congress, founded in 1897 as a split from the British TUC, and which continues to represent Scottish Trade Unionists, has continuously advocated Scottish Home Rule.
Since the rise of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the 1960s, British Governments have repeatedly discussed the idea of a separate parliament for Scotland. In a sense, this issue has defined Scottish Politics for the last 30 years. In a 1979 referendum 51.6% of Scots voted for a Parliament. The legislation was on the statute book, but the new Tory (Conservative) Government of Margaret Thatcher repealed the Act. The Tories compounded Scots' feeling of national political oppression by introducing the hated Poll Tax to Scotland one year ahead of Englandeffectively using Scotland as a guinea pig for new forms of regressive taxation.
split from Labour. Alliance, has between 400 and 500 members mainly from Militant and the Scottish Socialist Movement. Many International Viewpoint readers are also members.
The SSA was prominent in arguing for "a needed to tackle Scotland's social and economic problems - against a Bosses' Europe. The SSA hopes for representation in the new parliament. Under the planned proportional representation rules, the group would receive one seat if it won 6.5% of votes in its stronghold, Glasgow. Growing tension
The new Parliament will inevitably become the focus for politics in Scotland. Conflicts between London and Edinburgh are most likely to occur over fiscal Policy, and European integration.
Scottish opposition to the EU is higher than in England, and can only grow. And while it supports the EU, the Scottish National Party is demanding 'a place at the table,' rather than trusting English interests to negotiate for Britain as a whole. They will not be satisfied with the minor influence on regional policy, which is what is being offered to Scotland at the moment.
And as Britain moves into depression and austerity, the SSA and other Socialists will demand that the Scottish Parliament take the necessary powers to oppose the Bosses Europe. *