Good article, which I hadn't seen before. I remember very well that there was a flowering of these protest songs when (Lord) Harold Wilson first brought the Tory Polaris up the Clyde.

Q. How many Labourites does it take to change a light bulb?

A. None. Labour never changes anything.

Morris Blythman was instrumental in bringing a plethora of folk artistes together in protest and encouraging Scottish and International Republican Folk songs. Iain Davison, Alastair MacDonald, the Laggan, Whistlebinkies and many others too numerous to mention. Though I had never knowingly met Jim MacLean I was very much inspired by his Scottish Rebel Song Book and LPs.

We used to include and intersperse folk artistes between public speakers and not treat them as clowns or "mere" entertainers. Most had a powerful message best put in song and musical instruments, far more powerful I would say than any speakers, or a wheen o' pamphlets. The pipes were not proscribed for nothing.

The Irish were particularly good at expressing their politics and history through music and dance. Have you ever heard Peggy Lee singing "The wearing if the Green"?

We sell the IWWW songbook, although we can no longer afford a shop, or premises, I think it is still advertised online. I like the Laggan's version of Joe Hill best and Pie in the Sky is still as relevant as ever. They are particularly good at Bandera Rosa, Rosa Luxembourg and of course Hamish Henderson's John MacLean March. Or late Convenor, Bill Johnston, who retired to North Laggan and died there, was an active member of the IWW and a full time Trade Union official. He had to flee back to Scotland from Mafia gangsters. Though he said our sweetheart Trade Unions and Bosses were older and far more experienced in hidden gangsterism and corruption than the cruder Ham Shanks.

We do not claim to be musical experts, or even impresarios and we stand corrected with a little help from our friends in the industry, particularly Jim, who has been most instructive and illuminating.

I am sorry that Jack chose to attack us over one song, that he personally dislikes, then made personal attacks, particularly over persons and an incident that had have nothing to do with us. I don't expect, or demand, an apology. We all make mistakes. That's life. but would appreciate some constructive criticism and input to our song section on the site and would welcome his expertise and any input on the matter. I myself am no musician and too shy anyway and would bow to superior knowledge.

Sure our whole website could be updated more often. Oor webmaister does his best in his spare time. We do not have a full time staff, or bags of London gold. Unite may give Miliband over £11m for his Tory Party, but no Tame Unions ever gives us a penny and most of our members seem to be "spongers on the Welfare State". Or, "Something for nothing" spongers as Joanne, "Jimmy Krankie" lookalike, would have it. She may, as a member of Unite laying Golden Eggs, but she will always be up the Beanstalk Jack, singing of Jerusalem in Engerland's Queen and Peasant Land.

I do not wish to come on here and argue with anyone. My attention was drawn to a simple error of fact, which I mistakenly expected to be acknowledge. I have no wish to remain on this side defending myself or the SRSM from further attacks. Jim tells me you are a good socialist for Independence. That is fine with me, though I haven't seen any evidence so far, I am willing to leave it at that.