ABSTRACT
[John Maclean (1879–1923) was one of the leading revolutionary socialists of his time. Born in Glasgow to working-class parents, he trained as a schoolteacher, read Blatchford’s Merrie England as a young man and joined the Social Democratic Federation, helping to form a branch of the SDF in Pollokshaws in 1906. Maclean was also a keen supporter of the local co-operative society there, campaigning to pressure school boards to establish adult classes in political economy, among other things.[Henry Bell, John Maclean: Hero of Red Clydeside (London: Pluto Press, 2018)] This letter from Maclean to the SDF’s newspaper Justice demonstrates his hopes for co-operation as a vehicle for revolutionary change. Noting that “it used to be sacrilege not long ago to mention Socialism and Co-operation in the same breath”, Maclean argues that the situation is rapidly changing and points to the impressive support recently given by Belgium co-operators to striking workers, which has also occurred in this country.[On the Belgium movement see Carl Strikwerda, “‘Alternative Visions’ and Working-Class Culture: The Political Economy of Consumer Cooperation in Belgium, 1860–1980”, in Ellen Furlough and Carl Strikwerda (eds), Consumers against capitalism?: Consumer cooperation in Europe, North America, and Japan, 1840–1990 (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999)] He refers to the failed attempt to forge a formal political alliance between the co-operative movement and the Labour Representation Committee made at the Paisley Congress in 1905 which Maclean attended and looks forward to debating the same issue at the upcoming Aberdeen Congress. He is hopeful of success this time, as the Independent Labour Party according to Maclean has “systematically saturated all committees and associations inside the co-operative movement”, and have successfully pushed a resolution regarding affiliation onto the congress agenda. He sees this part of a wider struggle between Liberalism and Socialism and he does not underestimate opposition, as “the Liberal caucus will not be pleased to see the co-operative movement depart from its old moorings”. As it turned out, Maclean’s assessment was over-optimistic – the resolution was defeated, though it garnered significantly more support than it had in 1905 – and the old moorings held for some years at least, until total war rendered them obsolete.[G.W. Rhodes, Co-operative-Labour Relations 1900–1962 (Loughborough: Co-operative College, 1962)] The movement finally entered 209the formal political arena in 1917, though it preferred to retain its independence, refusing to affiliate to the Labour Party and establishing a separate Co-operative Party instead.]
