The groups formation follows a crisis within the party and publication of an open letter by former SSP convener Tommy Sheridan, distributed to members which detailed a long-standing slander campaign conducted against him, allegedly led by senior party figures, MSP's and some grassroots activists. Many senior party figures and three of the parties four female MSP's, Carolyn Leckie, Rosie Kane and Frances Curran have since joined the list of SSP United Left Signatories. Many see the groups formation as being an early indication of a self-initiated purge of the voices of disunity and calumy from the party some see as responsible for both the crisis and the apparent schism, which has reached a head this summer in the wake of the approach of the much-publicised high-profile libel trial involving Tommy Sheridan and British pro-war, right-wing scandal sheet, the 'News of the World'.
When these rumours - strenuously denied by Sheridan - of an alleged extra-marital affair were published in the newspaper in Autumn 2004 (which many grassroots activists and party members regarded as highly inflammatory and exaggerated, and indeed of little consequence or bearing on Sheridan's political position) many senior party figures saw political opportunity - and position for themselves - to be gained from both the story and securing his removal as convener. In the aftermath of this - and due in no small measure to a dearth of support from the party executive - Sheridan was effectively ousted as convener in November 2004.
Since then, party membership and public support, as well as the party's direction and impact on the political scene and in the anti-war movement in Scotland has continued to plummet. A substantial reversal in 2007 of their success in the last Scottish Parliament Elections, which saw his party's representation in the Scottish Parliament in his period as convenor increase from just himself to six members in 2003, is widely predicted by many political commentators
The groups founding statement was distributed in the name of Pam Currie, SSP LGBT spokesperson, and three rank-and-file members. However, signatories include three SSP MSP's (the aforementioned Curran, Kane and Leckie), co-chair Morag Balfour, and both the SSP councillors, Keith Baldassara and Jim Bollan.
Reminiscent of the campaign to undermine Arthur Scargill and the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1980's, revealingly recounted in Seamus Milne's ground-breaking 1994 investigation, The Enemy Within: MI5, Maxwell and the Scargill Affair, the ongoing crisis has led to mounting speculation in some quarters regarding the exact extent of the role of the British state in the party's recent troubles, which has been at the forefront in Scotland of opposing the war against Afghanistan and Iraq and spearheading the rapid growth of the highly successful Military Families Against the War campaign.
On 26th May 2006 - in an unprecedented move - an article titled 'Context is Everything' by internationally renowned, award-winning 'Rebel Ink' weekly columnist, Kevin Williamson, which attempted to question whether the News of the World story was simply a prurient, salacious sting or part of a calculated political attack against a perceived threat to the British state, was pulled from the party's in-house newspaper, Scottish Socialist Voice.
Links/references:
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
![](/img/extlink.gif)
Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
bullshit
22.06.2006 20:34
pissed of socialist
An Open Letter's now been published as well
22.06.2006 20:35
It says that it's a call for unity.
John Pringle
iffy
23.06.2006 09:31
pissed of socialist
SSP UL statement
23.06.2006 10:26
This is not a time to rage, but a time to reason. Not to fight within ourselves, but to unite behind the fight for a better world. A time to keep our heads, and hold fast to our principles.
We are a substantial group of Scottish Socialist Party activists from across Scotland and across the party, who have a number of concerns with the current direction of our party.
The SSP, since its inception, has been a beacon of hope to the workers movement in Scotland and internationally. In establishing the SSP, we achieved the impossible - uniting the left into a working, fighting political party with a radical agenda and strong, innovative ideas for campaigning and recruiting.
Working together in this unprecedented way, we made real gains, not just electorally, but at a grassroots level. We can, if we unite as a strong socialist party, create a generational change in society, putting socialist ideas back on the mainstream agenda, and engendering further, deep-rooted change. This is no small matter, given the domination of free market ideology and the pessimism and disillusionment this has bred in two, even three generations. We must always remember that the enemy is without, not within.
But we are deeply concerned that the party's community activism, socialist education and internal unity have failed to match our electoral success. We are concerned that individuals, branches and even regions are susceptible to external interpretations of the SSP's internal politics, created via the media. We want our elected representatives to be wholly accountable to the party, putting the collective interests of the party before individual concerns. We are concerned by a growing culture of indifference, even hostility, to our commitment to gender equality. Finally, we are committed to a united and non-sectarian Left, and in favour of a transitional approach to socialism, where no struggle, whether based in a community, workplace, or around a gender or race issue, can be ignored. We actively support and participate in all such work.
It is with all this in mind that we feel now is the time to launch an open, democratic, pro-SSP network, open to SSP members and informed by the following points:
Building the SSP
Our network is for activists whose aim is to support, promote and build the SSP as a broad, outward-looking socialist party, working within communities and workplaces, trades unions and colleges, in the streets and on the march, as the party that fights for peace, justice and socialism.
We seek the transformation of society through workers' democratic control of the means of production. We understand that the dismantling of the UK state, and the creation of a Scottish, socialist republic, is an essential part of this process.
Accountability and Participation
Our network aims to build a grassroots leadership of the SSP. We believe in participative democracy, where activity and engagement are encouraged and supported, and where democratic decisions are made by active participants.
Instrumental to this is the SSP's constitution, which we recognise and whose sovereignty we defend. We will campaign within the SSP for full accountability of all elected representatives and bodies, including the commitment to take the average wage of a skilled worker.
Gender Equality
Our network is committed to the principles of equal representation and gender equality at all levels of the party and remain dedicated to the hard-won, ground-breaking policy of 50:50, which facilitates the participation in socialist politics of women who might otherwise, through poverty and shouldering the burden of family care, notably working-class and ethnic minority women, be excluded.
Self-organisation
Our network values and encourages self-organisation amongst oppressed and marginalised groups, and recognises and celebrates these groups' contribution to the political development of our movement. Self-organisation is essential to raising the consciousness and confidence of those whose voices may not otherwise be heard.
Education
Our network will promote socialist education within the network itself and in the SSP, using progressive and inclusive educational techniques, to encourage critical thought and thinkers throughout the party.
Our Network
Our network is built on the principles of openness, inclusiveness, equality and respect, where all contributions are valued and comradely debate is welcomed.
We are a grassroots, bottom-up organisation and as such, promote participatory meeting techniques, where all members are encouraged to speak up and have their say, without fear of being ridiculed, intimidated or shouted down.
We, the undersigned, invite comrades who share our principles and ethos to join us and raise an SSP standard for all socialists to rally round.
View Signatories
Sign our statement and join the network
Rikki Reid
Punctuation, Punctuation.
23.06.2006 16:03
Dave W
Pedantic, Dave W, Pedantic
23.06.2006 19:00
John Latham
counciousness
24.06.2006 19:58
pissed of socialist
Accept the SSP's demise
26.06.2006 20:47
The SSP must accept that they just aren't up to competing with the spooks.
Either the SSP is full of freaks, geeks, oddballs, weirdoes, and middle class, politically correct whinging feminist wankers or MI5 have done an excellent job of making them look like that.
Roll on 2007 for the SSP to be put out of it's misery!
Uncle Joe
proud to be a member of the United Left
13.07.2006 17:34
Andy R
e-mail:
arossetter@hotmail.com