Jay Sutherland
Sutherland in Marseille, 2022.
Nationality	Scottish
Citizenship	France
Alma mater	University of Strathclyde
Occupation	Writer
Organization	Scotland Against Militarism
Known for	Anti-Militarism activism, Anti-Austerity activism, Critiques of Identity Politics
Notable work	Challenging Militarism: A Resource Pack, From Yellow Vests to 6th Republic, Universities Strikes and the Culture War.
Movement	Student Movement, Anti-War Movement, Situationists, Post Identity Politics Left

Jay Sutherland is a Scottish activist, writer and co-founder of the Scotland Against Militarism campaign.

Background

Sutherland grew up in East Ayrshire, and lived in Glasgow whilst studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Strathclyde.^[1][2] He later studied at Aix-Marseille University.^[3]

Sutherland later relocated to Marseille during the 2022 French Presidential elections.^[3][4][5]

Activist

Sutherland was reported as a 'youth activist' in Scotland in campaigns to preserve public space from commercial development and for Scottish Independence.^[6][7][8][9]

Afterwards Sutherland joined the anti-militarism movement when the British Army came to speak at his school in East Ayrshire, Scotland, he is reported to be disturbed by how "no-one questioned it".^[10] Sutherland states that he campaigns in deprived areas of Scotland that he claims are "deliberately targets for recruitment."^[10] As a result, he called for Militarism to be seen as a "youth issue" in the media.^[11][12]

Whilst in High School in Scotland, in 2017, Sutherland published a communique in a journal criticising the British Army recruitment campaigns in schools.^[13]

This later led to Sutherland founding the anti-militarism advocacy group for young people, Scotland Against Militarism.^[14][10][15] Sutherland later helped organise campaigns against an Arms Fair being held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2019.^[16][17][18] Sutherland's group, Scotland Against Militarism, also successfully campaigned for Glasgow City Council to cancel a "Armed Forces Fun Day" in Scotland.^[19] It was later reported that Jay Sutherland appeared on Russian media outlet Russia Today to discuss Scotland Against Militarism.^[20]

Sutherland, along with other figures in the independence and peace movement such as Tariq Ali, signed an open letter in the Scottish newspaper "The Herald" in 2019, condemning former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for appearing with Tony Blair's former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, and for his role in the Iraq war in 2003.^[21][22]

Student politics

In 2022 and 2023 Sutherland ran for an elected position at Strathclyde Students Union on a platform to support the Strike action of staff at the university. He stated his platform was "Radical, class based, independentist politics. Time to represent the working class students."^[23] He later caused controversy by stating "Vote for me to shake things up on behalf of our proud, working-class university - the place of useful learning, not bourgeois aspiration".^[23] Despite this controversy he won the election for the position of National Union of Students Scotland Conference Delegate.^[23]

In what he described the "stagnation of student life" in Scotland and the Anglo-Saxon world, he launched an attack on those who use identity politics against workers on strike and spoke about previous occupations at Strathclyde University within the John Anderson building.^[24][9]

2019 UK General Election

Sutherland drew media attention from British newspapers when he confronted former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson during the 2019 UK general election, he accused the Liberal democrats of austerity and called for support towards former Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn and socialism.^{[25][26][27][28]} The British media widely labeled Sutherland as being part of the 'student movement' in Scotland.^[26][29] Afterwards the former Scottish Liberal Democrats leader, Willie Rennie sent a press release addressing Sutherland's comments, Rennie stated the party "does not have a problem attracting young voters."^[30]

The Belfast Telegraph stated that Sutherland's actions "reminded the Liberal Democrats that the spectre of coalition still hangs over Lib Dems nine years on".^[29]

Writing

Sutherland contributed to writing on issues of Marxism, anti-militarism and the peace movement.^[31][32] Sutherland contributed to writing the book, Challenging Militarism: A Resource Pack. ^[33]

He has written for the journals critiquing identity politics, accusing it of "omitting social class".^[31] On a radio show in 2022 he is quoted to have said that identity politics "comes into conflict with workers".^[34]

References