Workers Know Your History, Glasgow's 1848 Food Riots.

      The citizens of Glasgow have always been a rebellious bunch, like other large cities across the UK, they have been involved in a long struggle to improve their conditions, and sometimes that struggle has been bitter and violent. You could say Glasgow has been a City of Rebellion, from the union in 1706, we had anti-union riots, and many more after that, some being violently put down, there was the 1725 Malt Tax riots, Feb 1800 crowds breaking into shops, and the troops called to quell their anger, 1812 the weavers strike, and so it goes on, with other protests and riots in between. However, today March 6th. marks the 167th, anniversary of the Glasgow food riots, back then society hadn't the safety valve of "food banks".

     The trouble started when the mass unemployed were expecting some sort of handout of provisions, which never materialised. The angry and starving crowds started marching through the main streets in the city centre, smashing their way into food shops, and went further, starting breaking into gun shops. The entire city centre came to a standstill all business closed. By now the starving angry and armed crowds were covering the city centre marching and shouting, "bread or revolution". 

     The authorities read the "riot act", the crowds were spreading into other districts of the city, breaking in to any food shop they came across. The city fathers called on more troops troops from Edinburgh. March 7th. crowds again gather in Bridgeton, a young boy threw something at the troops and was arrested. However the crowd were not having that, stormed the troops and rescued the young boy. It was then that Police Superintendent, a Captain Smart, gave the order to open fire, in the ensuing minutes, five of the crowd were shot, also a police officer was shot in the cross fire. For some days after this event crowds still lined the streets, however every public office in the city was securely guarded by troops.

       And so the struggle goes on, the rent strike 1915, the Upper Clyde work-in, 1971/72. In between the bitter and sometime violent struggles we have had an endless catalogue of smaller battles, but never the less important, and part of our history, a history that proves that it is only the ordinary people who carry forward this struggle for a better world for all, against an elite of rich and powerful, that will do their damnedest to hold on to their privileged position. So let's not forget those who challenged that elite, at times with great personal sacrifice and on occasions, death.

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A MAD MARCH HARE!!

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

      Like most boys in the area where I lived, I left school at 15. My first job was as the boay in the time office in Fairfield's Shipyard in Govan, Glasgow. On turning 16 I would start my apprenticeship, It wasn't a case of selecting your chosen profession, it was a matter of being told that yi wur ti go ti' the fittin' shoap. It could just as easily have been the brass foundry or the joinery shop, or any other of the many trades in shipbuilding, and my “career” would have gone on a different direction. However the powers that be set my sails as a marine engineer, a “fitter” was the usual title.

    That's when my education started, I found myself among a myriad of political pundits of all shades. The discussions were many, varied and at times “ferocious” and I loved it. Probably most of the workers were Labour with a very strong communist contingent. There was one Tory among the fitters, he was one of the journeymen that I was attached to, and he was insane, but a great tradesman. When asked why he was a Tory, his answer was, at least when you vote for them you know that they are going to screw you, not like the other bastards who pretend that they won't. It seemed a fair answer. In all the debates and discussions I was always being “courted” by the communists and being told that I should join the YCL (Young Communist League). Somehow or other they never fitted in with the way I felt.

      From entering the yards, I was always eager to get involved in the political and it was in 1952, as a third year apprentice that I got my first real feel of “political” activity. That was the year of the first Clydeside apprentice's strike since the second world war. I loved all the activity and was keen to do my stint of leafleting and what ever else to further “the cause”.

       It was during this strike at one of the several marches through the city that we had a rather interesting event. We were supposed to march from Blythswood Square to Glasgow Green and on passing the City Chambers at George Square, the police had set our route to proceed from there round the corner into Cochrane St. and through some more back streets to the Green. Our little group at the front had some other ideas, and as the police were lined up expecting us to turn left into Cochrane St. we marched merrily on deciding that we wanted a more public route down Glassford St. Argyle St. and Trongate to the Green. More publicity for our “cause”. There was chaos as the rest of the marchers not really thinking just followed on and the police trying to form up to turn us round. It failed miserably. By now it was no longer a march but lots of grinning apprentices running in groups, down Glassford St. with the police trying to re-direct or grab, what was now a wild mob of youth. By the time various groupings reach Argyle St. some were running in the direction of the Green, perhaps hopeful of still holding a rally, while others, myself among them, were running along Argyle St. in the opposite direction.

     At that time Argyle St. was still a two way traffic system and the pavements were mobbed. As I ran furiously along I could see ahead the ludicous site of some of the apprentices still carrying their placards, and these could be seen weaving their way though the crowds. By now there were mounted police and foot slogging coppers in hot pursuit. As I, and many others, ran past what is now Debenham's (then it was Lewis's) and turned into the lane at the side of the building, I knew the the mounted police were gaining fast, and as a simple city lad, I had this stupid idea that if I ran up the stairs of the lane up to what was St Enoch's Station, the horses wouldn't be able to follow. Of course as I got near the top I could hear the unmistakable clippity-clop of horses hoofs behind me. Entering the station I stopped running and tried to merge with the station crowd, others ran straight through and out the front and as I walked casually towards the front entrance I saw about 8 or so of my hapless marcher colleagues run straight into a ring of police, who duely flung them into waiting vans. One of those caught by that ring of police went on to make a name for himself on the Clyde during the Upper Clyde Work-in, he was Jimmy Reid. 

Read the story of the strike HERE:

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CAPITALISM = CHILD POVERTY.

       Recently released figures show the shocking level of child poverty in Scotland, these figures show that 13 Scottish councils have wards where more than 30% of children live in severe poverty. The worst areas are Glasgow, West of Scotland, Edinburgh, Dundee, Fife, Aberdeen and Stirling. A quick look at the map of Scotland tells you that those areas just about take in practically all of Scotland's high population areas. The over all child poverty level for the whole of Scotland is more than 20%. Bearing in mind that every child living in poverty is in a home with at least one adult living in poverty, it is a damning picture.

        Labour social justice spokesman Drew Smith said work was the best route out of poverty. Adding, "That is why as well as investment in the vital early years and improving childcare, we need a renewed focus on creating jobs and implementing a Living Wage for Scotland." What a load of crap, when has capitalism ever paid a living wage to all its workers? Dear Mr Smith, that's not how the system works. Why are people in poverty, because they can't access their needs. Why can't they access their needs, because we have created a system whereby the people's needs are priced so as to allow an army of parasites to live in luxury. Our system doesn't produce for the needs of the people, it produces for the wealth of the shareholders. The two tend to be incompatible. Also this angle of work being the answer shifts the blame onto those who are unable to find work. It's their own fault, if only they were working they would be poverty free. History tells us different.

       On hearing the figures Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Liam McArthur said: "In light of this report, and the effect that unemployment has on levels of poverty, it is more clear than ever that effective collaboration at all levels of government is required to help ensure the right conditions for creating jobs and reducing unemployment in our communities." More crap, when has capitalism in any country in the world every produced a society where all were employed and all had a living wage? More of blame the unemployed for the poverty in the country.

         Take two of the worst areas of severe poverty in Scotland, Govan, where I once worked in the shipyards, as part of the Clyde, it was once the shipbuilding capital of the world and Springburn, where I still live, once the steam locomotive manufacturing centre of the British Empire. In those days, lots of employment, but also lots of poverty. In this society the two are not incompatible. However, it was with “effective collaboration at all levels of government” that seen to the demise of both these industries. See Upper Clyde Work-in. Now Govan has a child poverty level of 38% and Springburn has the worst in Scotland with a criminal level 52% of children living in severe poverty. Think of that, more than half the children in an area in the UK living in severe poverty, that's 21^st century capitalism in the developed world, not a third world country.

        Of course anybody who is interested in what our society is like will know that poverty has always been part of capitalism. The system is not in any way shape or form fashioned to see to people's needs, it is not a needs based system, profit is the only game in town. All this crap about getting people into employment, being the answer to poverty, is just sound bites for public consumption, in the hope of getting the mouth-piece elected to a cushy job. They don't believe it themselves, if they do, then they are more stupid than I have always stated.

      Child poverty of these levels is an indictment against any system, it is condemning future generations to a stunted development, a waste of the future potential of a people. All this just because we are told that capitalism is the only route available, when common sense tells us otherwise. Mutual aid, co-operation, sustainability and developing a needs based society is there waiting for the people to take it up. The evidence has never been more glaring, the need has never been greater.

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