The ''Scottish Left Review'' is a bi-monthly magazine publication of the Scottish
left
Left may refer to:
Music
* ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006
* ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016
* ''Left'' (Helmet album), 2023
* "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996
Direction
* Left (direction), the relativ ...
. It was established in 2000 by several prominent left-wing figures, including Bob Thomson,
Henry McCubbin
Henry Bell McCubbin (15 July 1942 – 13 November 2023) was a Scottish politician. After a career as a film cameraman for television companies, he served one term in the European Parliament for the Labour Party.
Early career
McCubbin was born ...
,
Jimmy Reid
James Reid (9 July 1932 – 10 August 2010) was a Scottish trade union activist, orator, politician and journalist born in Govan, Glasgow. His role as spokesman and one of the leaders in the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in between June 1971 ...
,
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham (born 27 July 1951) is a retired Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform from 2016 to 2021. She was previously Cabinet Secretary for Fair Wor ...
, and
John McAllion
John McAllion (born 13 February 1948) is a campaigner for the Scottish Socialist Party, as well as a former Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), and convenor of Tayside Regional Council. He is also c ...
. Contributions come from members of all parties of the Scottish left and none. In 2006, it established the Scottish Left Review Press - which has published the best selling 'Is there a Scottish road to socialism?' edited collection - and in 2010 it also established the
Jimmy Reid Foundation.
Throughout an often difficult and challenging time for left politics in Scotland (over
Tommy Sheridan
Thomas Sheridan (born 7 March 1964) is a Scottish politician who served as convenor of Solidarity from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) from 1998 to 2004 and as co-convenor of Solidarity from ...
, the rise of the
SNP, the
independence referendum
An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an Independence, independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independenc ...
and so on), the magazine has continued to hold true to its historical mission of acting as a respectful and rigorous forum for debate and discussion across the left with a view to propounding
progressive politics and mapping out strategies to achieve them.
Its current editorial committee consists of
Cat Boyd, academic and author
Gregor Gall, Bob Thomson, Gordon Morgan, Sarah Collins, Dave Sherry, Stephen Smellie, Lilian Macer,
Tommy Sheppard Thomas or Tommy Sheppard may refer to:
* Thomas Sheppard (cricketer) (1873–1954), English cricketer
* Thomas Sheppard (MP) (1766–1858), Whig (and then Conservative) Member of Parliament (MP) for Frome
*Sir Thomas Sheppard, 1st Baronet (died 1821 ...
, Moira Craig and
Bill Bonnar
Bill Bonnar is a founding member of the Scottish Socialist Party.
Personal life
A socialist activist for over forty years in Scotland, London, and Sudan, Bonnar has wide-ranging experience in the trade union movement and community politics. ...
. The magazine was edited by
Robin McAlpine from the early 2000s until mid-2014. It is now edited by
Gregor Gall.
The magazine survives through a combination of pay for subscriptions for the hard copy of the magazine, advertising from
unions and progressive organisation and donations from readers and supporters.
Visits to the magazine's website run into the hundreds of thousands. For example, in January 2016, the website had 268,000 hits and 30,000 visits with a median of 5 pages read per visit. This meant readership had more than doubled in the last 3 years.
External links
Scottish Left Review WebsiteJimmy Reid Foundation website
Bi-monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Political magazines published in Scotland
Magazines established in 2000
Socialism in Scotland
Magazines published in Scotland
Socialist magazines
2000 establishments in Scotland
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