KATHLEEN Nutt reported in Monday’s National on another call, by filmmaker Roderick MacKenzie, for a new inquiry into the shady death of Willie McRae (New call for probe into McRae’s death, January 11). Let’s hope it probes deeper than other failed attempts at an inquiry.
The late Dave Leadbetter was at an advanced stage of completing his well-researched book on the subject and has left two boxes of his research with a friend in Edinburgh, in a safe place. Dave was a full-time worker for the (English) Civil Rights Association and was employed by Brent Council to lay constitutions for local authority organisations etc.
As a founder member and convenor of the cross-party Scottish Republican Socialist Clubs, founded in May 1973 – later to become the SRS Party, then the cross-party SRS Movement – I am possibly the only survivor. It was decided to become a movement to join the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), which it left in frustrations at the time of the splitist demise of that faction-ridden party.
Dave, like several SRSM members, refused to join the SSP, partly in distrust at their real commitment to independence. The original clubs came from the John Maclean Society. The thinking was that the society had members who were not committed to independence and we need something to bridge the gap between Republican socialism and Scottish nationalism.
Nan Milton, John Maclean’s daughter, was the very able secretary of the society and became the honorary president of the SRSC/SRSM, as did the late Hugh MacDiarmid and Harry McShane.
To return to Dave Leadbetter and his work on Willie McRae, also a Republican, Dave was a middle-class Englishman with a love of Scotland who came from the International Marxist Group, as I did, to form the SRSC along with others from the International Marxist Group and SNP etc, which included some surprising well-known names.
Some turned out to be agents provocateurs or just plain turncoats, who later embellished their own careers. I will not name them, except in confidence to The National.
Dave had a degree in law from Durham and history from Stirling. He was also a founder of the Willie McRae Society, which included journalists, civil servants and a former English advocate. Perhaps importantly, it included a retired scene of the crimes officer from Cornwall, who concluded, very clinically, the conflicting official reports were impossible and complete nonsense.
Winnie Ewing was approached by Lord Carmyllie, a former Tory MP, aided by Brian Wilson, Labour SNP hater, and rushed into agreeing with his report that it was “suicide”, which she immediately regretted; same with Billy Wolfe.
Dave later agreed with former SNP councillor Dave Coutts from Dundee on the exact location as the where the cairn to the crash should be, between Invergarry and Eilean Donan, Willie’s home and clan base, which survived most of the Clearances.
I am not normally into conspiracy theories. I believe in Dave’s conclusion that Willie did not commit suicide or was guilty of other fabricated rumours. I base this on my meetings with Willie and my own experience of fit-ups and failed attempts on my life, and others, of which I was lucky enough to survive till my 84th birthday, recently.
I know that no lie is too wee, too big, or too dirty for this establishment and would have trouble believing the lengths they went to if I had been told this by someone else. All Under One Banner has completed the first part of a series of interviews with me, recording much more of the movement‘s troubled history.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel