{"id":5827,"date":"2024-02-17T18:55:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T17:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weegiefifer.scot\/?p=5827"},"modified":"2024-02-17T18:55:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T17:55:40","slug":"red-clydesider-john-maclean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weegiefifer.scot\/?p=5827","title":{"rendered":"Red Clydesider – John Maclean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Red Clydesider – John Maclean. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A few weeks back Henry Bell gave a talk about John Maclean. The talk was the Third Jim McVicar Memorial Lecture and was hosted by Scottish Socialist Party. I was there helping to record the event for Scottish Independence Podcasts<\/a>. Although I knew the name of John Maclean I knew very little else about him. By the end of Henry\u2019s excellent talk I knew a lot more. Have a listen to the podcast, it\u2019s well worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"John<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On Trial for Sedition<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One thing that caught my attention was reference to Maclean\u2019s speech from the dock in the High Court, Edinburgh during his trial for sedition in 1918. One quote from that speech is well known amongst Scottish left-wingers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I wish no harm to any human being, but I, as one man, am going to exercise my freedom of speech. No human being on the face of the earth, no government is going to take from me my right to speak, my right to protest against wrong, my right to do everything that is for the benefit of mankind. I am not here, then, as the accused; I am here as the accuser of capitalism dripping with blood from head to foot.<\/em><\/p>\nJohn Maclean, on trial for sedition in 1918.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He spoke in his own defence for 75 minutes. Not sure he\u2019d get away with that these days! But the outcome was still a guilty verdict and he was sentenced to five years penal servitude in Peterhead Prison. Thankfully he was released after only a few months, on 1918 November Armistice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transcript of his speech is too long to include here but you can find it on various websites. The Marxist Website has a John Maclean Archive<\/a> with a biography, and his speeches and articles.. You can find the Speech from the Dock<\/a> there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Red Clydesider Statue for Glasgow?<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Statue<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A few days after the talk, a friend told me about a crowdfunder campaign to raise funds for a statue of John Maclean<\/a>. The project’s aim is to raise the money required to pay for a life-sized statue of him to be commissioned and erected in Glasgow city centre. They have obtained a quote for the statue which gives an estimated breakdown of the costs and the total cost (Inc. VAT): \u00a356,280. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over and above this total this project needs to raise an additional \u00a32200 which is the approximate cost of the preparation of the foundation site for the statue, which would be undertaken by Glasgow City Council. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So total cost is \u00a358,480. They have had one very generous donation of \u00a310,000. So the outstanding cash required is \u00a348,480<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I\u2019ve done a bit of arithmetic:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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  • there are 162,000 Glaswegians living in the city. Of course there are many more living elsewhere. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Let\u2019s divide \u00a348,480 by 162,000 Och let\u2019s round it up to \u00a350,000. The result is 8p. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • So if every Glaswegian gave the crowdfunder 8p, it would reach it\u2019s target.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Or if just in a hundred Glaswegians gave \u00a38, it would reach it\u2019s target. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Surely that\u2019s doable?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I think it\u2019s doable. But maybe the crowdfunder team needs to promote their project. Maybe this will help. I hope so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s the talk by Henry:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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