Friday, May 30, 2014

A SCOTTISH TRADE UNIONIST WITH A CLEAR VOICE AND A CLEAR HEAD SPEAKS OUT FOR SOLIDARITY WITH THE UK.

George McIrvine, Unison Police Branch Secretary

The choice facing working people in Scotland this September is clear. We can either continue to work in solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the rest of the UK or we can turn our back on the cooperation which has achieved so much in the United Kingdom.

I’m hugely proud of what we have achieved together. Our NHS was established by a Welshman, the welfare state was created by an Englishman and it was a Scot who founded the BBC, another of our great institutions.  More recently it was the UK Labour Government that introduced the National Minimum Wage which benefited millions of people across the United Kingdom.

These are all things which have been for the many and not just the few. It is the kind of change that we can only continue to make by standing shoulder to shoulder with people across the whole of the UK.

Although we mustn’t take them for granted or rely solely on past gains, we are right to celebrate all that we have achieved together. What we have achieved in creating a fairer and more just society was made possible by working together and campaigning for progressive change across the UK.

It is important to remember that the fundamental changes that have taken place in making the case for social justice and tackling inequality have affected the whole of the United Kingdom, not just individual parts of it.

That is why the separation pitch from the nationalists is so deceptive and devoid of reality. The debate that they want to have is one between change and no change, more powers and the status quo and Scotland v England.

That could not be further from the truth. September’s vote is a choice between stepping into the unknown with separation or building on the success of the Scottish Parliament and all that devolution has delivered for the people of Scotland.

You will have difficulty finding someone who is part of the campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom that believes that things are perfect. But you will find nobody that believes walking away is the answer to this or any issue.

As part of the trade union movement I know that the best outcome is always found by working collectively. Working together is how we can achieve the change that is needed.

But there is something more fundamental than that. I want to live in an outward looking country where solidarity with others is seen as something to embrace, not a source of grievance.

I want to be able to say that we thought long and hard about the choice that we faced, but ultimately we chose working together in solidarity with friends, neighbours and colleagues across the UK rather than walking away. When it comes to the crunch I will back co-operation and partnership over division and grievance.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is McIrvine a serving police officer?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Why do you ask?.

Anonymous said...

If McIrvine is employed and paid by Unison, he can do,say and publish anything he likes, but if he's a serving officer, he can't. And if he's a Pilgrim - full time Union worker, but salary picked up by the taxpayer- then he should bloody well hope the SNP win, or Eric Pickles will nail him.

Anonymous said...

the uk has the 4th most unequal distribution of wealth in the western world, the disparity between directors pay and workfloor pay has increased with every govt in the last 30 years,
the uk has recently seen the introduction and exponential growth of food banks, scotland within the uk has hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty, with another 100,000 on the way thanks to austerity policies planned by both major political parties.
Who is it you want to show solidarity with? When even your odious lying cheating labour party has given up any pretense at socialism, still you cling on like a brain dead mollusc, pathetic in the extreme, the empire is over britain is no longer great, get out of it while you can, the elite are sucking us dry and people like you are applauding them while they do it. How many people are using foodbanks in renfrew now,while you stand back and cheer miliband and balls when they promise to hit the poorest members of our society harder than even the tories will. utterly disgusting, how can you sleep at night ?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

I think you should investigate this if it bothers you, it's your duty to inform on people.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

Anonymous said...Sunday, June 01, 2014 1:36:00 pm.
This is a demented rant from a brain dead clown, none of it makes any sense and it sounds like you write it while under the influence of drink or drugs, no wonder you are afraid to put a name to it.