Scottish Socialist Party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article deals with the Scottish Socialist Party that was formed in 1998. For the party that was formed in 1987 see Scottish Socialist Party (1987-1990).
| Scottish Socialist Party Pàrtaidh Sòisealach na h-Alba |
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|---|---|
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| Leader | Colin Fox MSP (Convenor)[1] |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | 70 Stanley Street Glasgow, G41 1JB |
| Political Ideology | Socialism, Feminism, Environmentalism, Scottish independence |
| Political Position | Left-wing |
| Parent Party | {{{parent}}} |
| International Affiliation | none |
| European Affiliation | European Anticapitalist Left |
| European Parliament Group | n/a |
| Colours | Red, Yellow, White |
| Website | www.scottishsocialistparty.org |
| See also | Politics of Scotland |
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrtaidh Sòisealach na h-Alba) is a radical left-wing Scottish political party which campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence.
It operates through a branch based structure with additional networks for identity or campaigning groups, as well as accepting open platforms who are allowed to organise within the party.
It currently has four Members of the Scottish Parliament and two local councillors, although its main focus is on grassroots community campaigns. Its primary campaigns at the moment are the provision of free nutritious school meals and free public transport as well as opposition to the war in Iraq and campaigning against the council tax.
Contents |
[edit] History
- see main article History of the Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party was formed from the Scottish Socialist Alliance (SSA), an alliance of left-wing organisations in Scotland, Following reasonable results by the alliance in the 1997 General Election, the decision was taken to transform the SSA from an electoral alliance into a single party to contest the first elections of the new Scottish Parliament. The SSP polled unexpectedly well in this election and saw the then National Convenor Tommy Sheridan elected to represent Glasgow.
The period following that election saw sustained growth for the SSP, including a boost to membership when the Socialist Workers Party in Scotland joined the SSP, and the Scottish section of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers affiliated to the party. During this period of sustained and rapid growth it recruited extensively from former members of the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party, in addition to trade unionists, environmentalists, and community campaigners.
The 2003 elections to the Scottish Parliament saw the SSP gain five additional seats across Scotland, becoming the foremost left-wing force in Scottish politics.
On November 11, 2004 Tommy Sheridan announced his resignation as convener of the party, citing personal reasons as being behind his decision, although it later emerged that he had effectively been recalled by the National Executive of the party. He was replaced by Colin Fox - SSP MSP for the Lothians, by a 5:3 margin in a contest with Alan McCombes - the SSP's policy co-ordinator.
On 29 August 2006, Tommy Sheridan announced his intention to leave the Scottish Socialist Party and found a new socialist political party called Solidarity.[2] The split was formalised in September 2006.[3].
In the aftermath of the split, the SSP first met at a national rally in early September 2006, and again at a national conference in mid October 2006, where all of the postitions of the party were re-elected.. A decision was also taken to review all of the party's structures including the role of the national convenor, the staffing arrangements of the party and the role of elected representatives with a view to adapting the structures to further strengthen members' participation and the party's internal democracy.
The SSP is standing on the regional lists for Holyrood in 2007, and in council elections across the country.
[edit] Campaigns
[edit] National Liberation
The SSP strongly supports autonomy for Scotland and national self determination through Scottish independence.
It co-ordinated the rally for independence at Calton Hill in October 2004 and wrote the Declaration of Calton Hill , which sets out a vision of an inclusive and outward looking Scottish republic, based on the key principles of liberty, equality, diversity and solidarity. A follow up event to mark the initial declaration was held in October 2005.
It also supports the Independence First campaign which demands an immediate referendum on Independence for Scotland. In 2006, it participated in the "Rally for Independence" together with the other political parties who campaign for independence as part of a broad based campaign to demand the right of self-determination for Scotland.
The national self-determination sought by the SSP is driven by internationalist rather than nationalist concerns. It seeks to build an inclusive republican state which is run by and for the benefit of all who live in Scotland. As such, it supports the rights of asylum seekers to settle there, without fear of detention or deportation; opposes the expansion of the UK state, for example through ID cards; and seeks the abolition of the monarchy.
Through prioritising national liberation as a key component in its political philosophy, it stands in the tradition of John MacLean who set up the Scottish Workers Republican Party in the early part of the 20th century, combining socialist economics with national self determination.
[edit] Reform of Local Government Taxation
The Scottish Socialist party has been at the forefront of the campaign to reform local government taxation.
Prior to the establishment of the SSP, a number of SSP members, along with many others, were subject to warrant sales after refusing to pay the Poll Tax, a flat tax, in which no account was taken of either wealth or ability to pay. One of the first bills that the SSP put forward once elected to Holyrood became the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001, an immensely popular action, which successfully transformed debt recovery systems in Scotland.
The SSP propose a Scottish Service Tax, a form of local income tax, based on the ability to pay to replace the current Council Tax, brought in after mass public non-payment made the Poll Tax non-viable. A bill proposing such a system was presented in 2005, however it was overwhelmingly defeated. The two other parties in the Scottish Parliament who also claim to support such a reform, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party opposed its introduction.
[edit] Free Prescription Charges
In 2005, Colin Fox MSP proposed a bill to abolish prescription charges similar to that which allows Welsh citizens free prescriptions on the NHS. [4] Despite widespread support and success at committee stage, it failed to become law [5].
In response to the bill and the publicity that it generated, the Scottish Executive announced a review of the impact that the charges had on the chronically sick and full time students just three hours prior to the bill being debated. This move was seen as a means of warding off the popular support that the campaign was receiving
[edit] Free Nutritious School Meals
Frances Curran MSP is leading a broad campaign with widespread support through many children's and anti-poverty organisations to provide free nutritious meals for all Scottish schoolchildren to tackle the twinned problems of poor diet and rising obesity amongst children. [6].
This would have eradicated the stigma associated with the current means tested system and also ensured that meals provided in school conformed to minimal nutritional standards.
A bill to this effect was proposed in parliament in 2002 but was defeated, however there is an increasing awareness of the role of diet on childrens health and a subsequent Scottish Executive consultation found that 96% of respondents were in favour of free school meals
A redrafted bill was launched in October 2006 was resubmitted to the parliament, however in November 2006 it was announced that this bill would not be taken in the current session of parliament due to time pressures. Frances Curran has pledged that the SSP will resubmit this bill early in the next session of parliament and announced a text service for supporters to text Jack McConnell to demonstrate their support for the free school meals bill.[3]
In the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections First Minister Jack McConnell declared his intention to double current provision of free school meals if Labour is re-elected.
[edit] Free Public Transport
The SSP proposes the scrapping of all fares on public transport within Scotland in order to reduce carbon emissions, cut road deaths, reduce air pollution and boost the incomes of workers reliant on public transport. The capital costs involved in the project would be raised by reducing planned roadbuilding programmes, in particular the M74 motorway extension, which the SSP has been active in opposing.
Such a scheme has a precident in Hasselt, Belgium, where the city centre was revived by the provision of free public transport, and was a key plank of the Greater London Council's policy platform in the early 80s.
[edit] Fuck Abstinence
Fuck Abstinence is a campaign of the Women's Group within Scottish Socialist Youth, which seeks to educate young women denied adequate sex education, through the distribution of information on reproductive rights. Young women involved with the campaign have been targeted by anti-abortion group UK Life League who have sent them intimidatory graphic material.
[edit] Reform of Drug Laws
The party has proposed the legalisation of cannabis and the licencing of premises to sell cannabis under licence. It has aslo proposed the provision of free synthetic heroin on the NHS, under medical supervision to combat the problems of drugs in working class communities, as well as calling for a massive expansion in residential rehabilitation and detoxification facilities for addicts.
Although a minority position when proposed, the call for free heroin on prescription is rapidly being taken up by health[7] and law enforcement professionals.[8]. This approach has increased in public support following the murders of five women with drug addiction problems in Ipswich in 2006 [9]
[edit] Anti-war campaigns
The SSP has campaigned extensively against the Iraq War. The SSP was one of the founding members of the Scottish Coalition for Justice not War[4] at its establishment in September 2001. The February 2003 march in Glasgow was widely attended by SSP members, and later that year SSP MSPs were threatened with disciplinary action after one of their activists staged a protest in the Scottish Parliament [10]. In 2004, STV and Grampian threatened to pull a party political broadcast by the SSP which accused Tony Blair over the pretext for the war.
It works closely with Military Families Against the War, particularly in the Justice 4 Gordon Gentle campaign, standing down in the 2005 general election for Rose Gentle in the East Kilbride constituency [11].
It has also led campaigns against rendition flights, including introducing a debate in Holyrood over the issue[5], and against the tacit support of the UK government in Israel's war on Lebanon.
It has supported the non-violent direct action as a tactic to oppose the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Scotland and strongly opposes the replacement of Trident. It has participated in the blockades at Faslane nuclear base since its inception and a number of SSP members have been fined and/or jailed after blockading the naval base at the annual Big Blockade.
In 2005, Rosie Kane locked herself on to a 25 foot Trident replica outside the Scottish Parliament, only releasing herself after the replica was dismantled after 14 hours. Later that year she was fined £150 for the demonstration and in October 2006, she was jailed for 14 days after refusing to pay the fine.
In January 2007, three of its MSPs were arrested after blockading the base as part of the Faslane365 campaign, [12]later being released without charge.
[edit] Make Capitalism History
The party was highly active in the protests against the G8, joining the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh and participating in the G8 Alternatives Summit.
After the public were denied the right to march in Gleneagles despite prior agreement by the executive that peaceful protest would be facilitated, the SSP MSPs made a silent protest in the chamber at Holyrood. They were debarred from the parliament for a month, their correspondence was deleted and they were fined £30,000.
[edit] Platforms
The party (unlike most others) allows for the organisation of internal factions (which it describes as platforms), the intention is to ensure that socialists can work together on the issues on which they agree, however to respect the opinions of other socialists on the issues on which there is dispute.
[edit] Current Platforms
- The Republican Communist Network was a founding member of the SSP. Although numerically small, it is considerably influential within the party, printing an internal journal Emancipation and Liberation.
- The Workers Unity Platform is an amalgam of members from small left groups who came together to form a platform within the SSP.
- The Solidarity Tendency consists of supporters of the Alliance for Workers Liberty.
[edit] Former Platforms
- The United Left was not officially incorporated as a platform within the SSP, however it operated in a similar manner and was largely regarded as such. It was formed in June 2006 and dissolved in January 2007.
- The supporters in Scotland of the Socialist Workers Party joined the SSP in 2002 becoming the Socialist Workers Platform. In 2006 they left the party.
- The Scottish Republican Socialist Movement whose major focus is independence and republicanism for Scotland. It emerged from the Scottish Republican Socialist Party which was one of the founding platforms of the SSP. The SRSM officially disaffilated from the SSP in November 2006, although some individual members remain in the SSP.
Two of the platforms in the SSP both emerged from British Section of the Committee for a Workers International, following the "Open Turn" Debate of the early 90s, which was largely led by Scottish comrades. In 1998, the "Scottish Debate" led to the establishment of the SSP, however within the UK movement this was not widely welcomed. Tensions between many leading Scottish comrades including Alan McCombes and Catriona Grant and the UK leadership led to a split within the CWI into two separate platforms:
- The International Socialist Movement was a breakaway organisation from the CWI, formed in 2001 and made up primarily of former CWI members. It published the journal "Frontline" until its dissolution in 2006, where upon Frontline became an independent Marxist journal.
- The International Socialists consisted of a small number of individuals who remained affiliated to the CWI when the ISM was formed in 2001. In 2006 the platform left the party [6].
[edit] SSP's Role in the Sheridan Libel Trial
- See main article Sheridan v News International.
Tommy Sheridan sued the News of the World for defamation when, immediately following his controversial resignation, it was alleged that he'd had an extra marital affair. As a result of his lawsuit (Sheridan v News International), the minutes of the SSP executive meeting held on 9 November 2004 were subpoenaed by the newspaper. The party initially declined to hand them over. A raid was conducted on the SSP's offices in May 2006 and Alan McCombes, the SSP's national policy co-ordinator (who had possession of them) was jailed for 12 days. In response to a call from Sheridan to release the minutes, the party eventually handed them in to the court. It transpired that in that meeting the party executive had decided, unanimously, to ask for his resignation because he intended to take the News of the World to court for libel over allegations that were in fact true.
Sheridan claimed in the press that a cabal within the party's Executive Committee were out to destroy him, [13] and expanded on this statement in an open letter to party members on 28 May 2006, claiming there had been a long-standing slander campaign conducted against him by senior party figures and MSPs.
At his court case eleven SSP members testified that Sheridan admitted during the 9 November meeting to having attended a swingers' club, an admission which is noted in the disputed minutes, repeated to Charlie McCarthy [14] and five other leading comrades in the SSP[15], as well as recorded on a videotape which surfaced in October 2006.[16] Sheridan eventually won his court case though an appeal has been lodged on behalf of the News of the World. In addition, investigations into possible perjury charges in connection with the case are continuing, with computers from both the SSP and Sheridan's Parliamentary offices seized for forensic examination and several key witnesses already questioned. On 1st April 2007, The Sunday Herald reported that Lothian and Borders Police had reached a conclusion about the disputed minute.[17]
[edit] Criticism
The Socialist Workers Party and others on the left have criticised the SSP for having sectarian tendencies and no longer being a broad and open mass party of the left, and cited this as one of their reasons for splitting from the SSP to form Solidarity. The SWP and others on the left have also argued that the SSP has not responded adequately to wide public anger at recent wars.[18]
[edit] Other Information
The SSP distributes a weekly newspaper, the Scottish Socialist Voice.
The SSP is a founding member of the European Anticapitalist Left.
The SSP has an active youth wing, Scottish Socialist Youth.
The SSP has an active women's network, the Socialist Women's Network
SSP members helped establish Second Life Left Unity
[edit] Elected Representatives
[edit] SSP MSPs
- Frances Curran (West of Scotland)
- Colin Fox (Lothians)
- Rosie Kane (Glasgow)
- Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland)
[edit] SSP Local Councillors
- Keith Baldassara, (Pollok Ward, Glasgow City Council)
- Jim Bollan (Renton and Alexandria South Ward, West Dumbartonshire Council)
[edit] 2007 Elections
The SSP will be contesting the Scottish Parliament election, 2007 in all of the eight regions. The candidates heading the regional lists are:-
- Central Scotland: Carolyn Leckie
- Glasgow: Rosie Kane
- Highlands and Islands: Donnie Nicolson
- Lothians: Colin Fox
- Mid Scotland and Fife: Lorna Bett
- North East Scotland: Felicity Garvie
- South of Scotland: Colin Turbett
- West of Scotland: Pamela Page
[edit] References
- ^ Note that the SSP does not have a leader in the traditional sense but a convenor.
- ^ "New socialist party for Sheridan", BBC News, 29 August 2006, (retrieved 10 September 2006)
- ^ SSP crisis archive containing all the relevant materials from all sides.
- ^ Call to scrap prescription charge
- ^ MSPs retain prescription charges
- ^ Campaign for Free School Meals
- ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-2466584,00.html Hardened addicts given free heroin in secret NHS trial
- ^ Give addicts heroin, says officer
- ^ Prostitution: the problem is not sex ... it’s drugs
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Trident protest politicians held
- ^ "SSP votes to hand over documents", BBC News, 29 May 2006 (retrieved 10 September 2006).
- ^ "text of letter from Charlie McCarthy, SSP Health Spokesperson"
- ^ "Guardian Article about open letter from Glasgow activists"
- ^ [http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sheridanscript.shtml Sheridan's Confession Tape
- ^ Jersey Visit for Sheridan Police Probe
- ^ Socialist Worker Platform statement on Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Worker Online, 21 August 2006 (retrieved 5 October 2006).
[edit] External links
- The Scottish Socialist Party's Home Page
- The SSP's weekly newspaper
- International Socialist Movement The International Socialist Movement was a platform within the SSP descended from Scottish Militant Labour
- Republican Communist Network The RCN is a platform within the SSP
- SSP United Left a former platform within the SSP, dissolved in January 2007
- SSP merchandise
Scottish Labour Party • Scottish National Party • Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party • Scottish Liberal Democrats • Scottish Green Party • Scottish Socialist Party • Solidarity • Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party
