Archive for SRSM Scottish Republican Socialist Movement Forum - a venue for discussion on matters Republican and Socialist.
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Donald
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bill spiers ripJust heard on EBC2 that Bill Spiers, former General Secretary of the STUC has died, aged 57.
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Zed
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Re: bill spiers rip | Donald wrote: | | Just heard on EBC2 that Bill Spiers, former General Secretary of the STUC has died, aged 57. |
Don't remember him being much of a Nationalist Donald.
If that's the case he is not much of a loss to me.
Sorry for his family, but that's about it.
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Donald
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I knew Bill from Strathclyde Uni. I was a Mat Stud and he was straight from the Playgrun' and in the career Labour Club and became President of the Student Union. I debated with him on the Highland Clearances and he took the Devine line. I congratulated him on the courage of his ignorance and patted him on the heid. Despite this, he took it in good part and supported me in fighting the ban on the Scottish Republican Club. He helped us gain funds, etc.
I invited him to speak at a John MacLean do for the SSP in the Italian Centre. He spoke in favour of a Scottish Socialist Republic and sang the Scottish Breakaway and was booed by the SSP Brits. He told me he played in an Orange band as a kid and supported a United Ireland.
He said he was "relaxed" about Scottish Independence and went as far as he could without risking his career. He also had a drink problem and was forced to retire on "ill health". He also told me his successor, Grahame Smith, a Unionist, wanted to do away with the Scottish TUC, for the London one. It may happen yet. All the Scottish Trade Unions were closed down in the 60's and 70's due to the rise of the SNP and the ASNTU under Bill Johnston. Some of the full time leaders of the smaller Scottish Trade Unions were Scottish Republicans; the Scottish Transport and General, Scottish Glaziers, etc. Bill did support Devolution and provided funds and the bureaucracy. He was going to find a way to support our club in Shuna St, when the SSP sabotaged it. He ran the folk scene, etc at eh STUC building in Woodlands Road and he was going to give us "spill overs", with funding.
Yes. I know he was "off" at Elderslie. I gave him a few drams in the hall and gently got him out to the bus stop. He was not his old self.
All I can say is that he was not the worst, but the ones following him are, apart from Bob Thomson, a proper gent.
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Zed
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Maybe he wasn't the worst unionist Donald, but he was still a unionist.But I understand what you are saying.
Maybe you're just getting soft in your old age or you are getting too fond of that Jacobite whisky 
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Donald
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Naw. He was alright with me and the Movement. He was definitely unwell the past couple of years and was "wandering". I am not surprised to hear of his death. He would aye come and sit with us at do's and obviously enjoyed the craic. We have a real Onionist in the STUC now with Graeme Smith.
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