Post by RedFlag32 on May 7, 2007 21:40:27 GMT
Scottish Left Must Reunite in New Socialist Party!
www.phoblacht.net/2MH060507.html
Mick Hall • 6 May 2007
Until very recently the existence of the Scottish Socialist Party had been
a beacon of hope, for not only the Scottish working classes, but also for
left wing socialist militants throughout the rest of the UK. It had led
the way in mapping a realistic path out of the sectarian ghetto that has
passed for party political left wing politics since Militant were driven
from the LP by the servants of Capital, and the CPGB imploded. When, after
much hard work, the Scottish comrades founded the Scottish Socialist Party
and took its program to the Scottish electorate, they proved what many had
been claiming for decades: that working class people will respond at the
ballot box to progressive politics if they believe the party who are
offering it up are genuine in their commitment to the class, and a real
player in the political process, not just a bunch of mockney
revolutionaries or single issue propagandists.
The SSP were able to build a support base that eventually materialized
into a dynamic political force which managed to attain six SSP Members of
the Scottish Parliament [MSP]. The presence of these MSP's allowed the SSP
to use the Parliamentary Assembly as a platform to spread socialist
politics throughout Scotland, and in the process help many of the victims
of neo-liberal economics via MSP's surgeries etc, which in itself helped
to spread the word of socialism. For the first time in decades the
presence of dynamic SSP socialists like Tommy Sheridan and others forced
the media to take note of socialist politics.
Then disaster struck and the SSP imploded. With the full results of the of
May 3rd, 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections now in, the fall out from
the events which took place back in 2006 and before have finally struck
home with shocking reality. Of the six SSP MSP's that were elected in
2003, not a single one remains. All have been sent packing by those
workers who only four years ago were prepared to give socialism a chance.
I am not going to go over old ground and re-analyze the reasons that led
up to the split within the SSP, out of which two separate socialist
organizations emerged. As far as working class people are concerned it
will serve no purpose. In any case, if there is a piece of land that has
been continuously ploughed over yet to this day remains fallow, it is
this. It is enough to write that the SSP and Scottish Solidarity came into
being, both targeting the same section of the electorate and without a
political difference worth any salt between them. Understandably the
Scottish working class wanted neither of them, not least because since the
implosion, the memberships of both parties have spent much of their time
throwing personal insults and brickbats at one and another, often using
the harshest of language, which is almost always based on personality
clashes, not political differences which might resonate with the Scottish
working class.
If the radical left in Scotland is to regain the ground it has lost, it
must attempt to regain the confidence of the class. This will not be easy,
but then coming together as the SSP was never a cakewalk. Comrades,
whether members of Scottish Solidarity or SSP, should cease attacking
their former comrades, after all they do not have any political
differences worth arguing over and personality clashes are unworthy,
especially for the left who often claim the higher ground. The working
class knows this and reacts accordingly. The leaders of both organizations
should show some leadership and remind their members of the negative
impact all the sniping has had on the electorate.
It is very likely that too much putrid sewage water has flowed under the
bridge for this generation of left wing leaders to come together in a
single organization once again. But that does not mean that Scottish
socialists should continue to attack their former comrades as if they, and
not the representatives of Capital, are the main enemies. It is time to
reflect on what has been lost and to recognize that the SSP originally
came into being by the joint efforts of many comrades and left
organizations and the only viable option open to the left is to return to
the comradeship and sensible compromises that enabled this to occur.
The alternative to this is there for all to see: a return to the political
ghetto, or being eaten up whole by George Galloway's Respect Party, which
is already eyeing up Solidarity much as Private Equity asset strippers did
to Boots the chemists. If nothing changes, a majority of the SSP
membership may well decide to bolt for Alex Salmond's SNP.
Mick Hall's blog: Organized Rage
www.phoblacht.net/2MH060507.html
Mick Hall • 6 May 2007
Until very recently the existence of the Scottish Socialist Party had been
a beacon of hope, for not only the Scottish working classes, but also for
left wing socialist militants throughout the rest of the UK. It had led
the way in mapping a realistic path out of the sectarian ghetto that has
passed for party political left wing politics since Militant were driven
from the LP by the servants of Capital, and the CPGB imploded. When, after
much hard work, the Scottish comrades founded the Scottish Socialist Party
and took its program to the Scottish electorate, they proved what many had
been claiming for decades: that working class people will respond at the
ballot box to progressive politics if they believe the party who are
offering it up are genuine in their commitment to the class, and a real
player in the political process, not just a bunch of mockney
revolutionaries or single issue propagandists.
The SSP were able to build a support base that eventually materialized
into a dynamic political force which managed to attain six SSP Members of
the Scottish Parliament [MSP]. The presence of these MSP's allowed the SSP
to use the Parliamentary Assembly as a platform to spread socialist
politics throughout Scotland, and in the process help many of the victims
of neo-liberal economics via MSP's surgeries etc, which in itself helped
to spread the word of socialism. For the first time in decades the
presence of dynamic SSP socialists like Tommy Sheridan and others forced
the media to take note of socialist politics.
Then disaster struck and the SSP imploded. With the full results of the of
May 3rd, 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections now in, the fall out from
the events which took place back in 2006 and before have finally struck
home with shocking reality. Of the six SSP MSP's that were elected in
2003, not a single one remains. All have been sent packing by those
workers who only four years ago were prepared to give socialism a chance.
I am not going to go over old ground and re-analyze the reasons that led
up to the split within the SSP, out of which two separate socialist
organizations emerged. As far as working class people are concerned it
will serve no purpose. In any case, if there is a piece of land that has
been continuously ploughed over yet to this day remains fallow, it is
this. It is enough to write that the SSP and Scottish Solidarity came into
being, both targeting the same section of the electorate and without a
political difference worth any salt between them. Understandably the
Scottish working class wanted neither of them, not least because since the
implosion, the memberships of both parties have spent much of their time
throwing personal insults and brickbats at one and another, often using
the harshest of language, which is almost always based on personality
clashes, not political differences which might resonate with the Scottish
working class.
If the radical left in Scotland is to regain the ground it has lost, it
must attempt to regain the confidence of the class. This will not be easy,
but then coming together as the SSP was never a cakewalk. Comrades,
whether members of Scottish Solidarity or SSP, should cease attacking
their former comrades, after all they do not have any political
differences worth arguing over and personality clashes are unworthy,
especially for the left who often claim the higher ground. The working
class knows this and reacts accordingly. The leaders of both organizations
should show some leadership and remind their members of the negative
impact all the sniping has had on the electorate.
It is very likely that too much putrid sewage water has flowed under the
bridge for this generation of left wing leaders to come together in a
single organization once again. But that does not mean that Scottish
socialists should continue to attack their former comrades as if they, and
not the representatives of Capital, are the main enemies. It is time to
reflect on what has been lost and to recognize that the SSP originally
came into being by the joint efforts of many comrades and left
organizations and the only viable option open to the left is to return to
the comradeship and sensible compromises that enabled this to occur.
The alternative to this is there for all to see: a return to the political
ghetto, or being eaten up whole by George Galloway's Respect Party, which
is already eyeing up Solidarity much as Private Equity asset strippers did
to Boots the chemists. If nothing changes, a majority of the SSP
membership may well decide to bolt for Alex Salmond's SNP.
Mick Hall's blog: Organized Rage
