We need a new direction
The magazine presented its content as ‘radical’, but to a degree that was ‘over egging the pudding’. Much of the published output did not strictly conform to a ‘radical’ tag. Rather, it was often just different, challenging and hopefully thought-provoking. ‘Radical’ was a convenient unifying label on which to hang things, and something of a ‘mobilising myth’ underpinning what were in reality basic reforming ideas which we considered could and should be the norm within a progressive self-governing context.
And so, Radical Scotland in the mid-1980s was imbued with a committed editorial team, good connections within and outside of the political, cultural and journalistic establishments, and a clear aim: to overcome the hostility of the Thatcher era and put self-government front and centre in Scottish politics. In the second part of this article, we’ll examine the strategy, the hurdles faced and the progress made as the magazine went about its challenging mission.