Rae Bridges is an SSP member who is not a member of any platform. Here he casts a perceptive eye over recent events. As Tommy Sheridan emerged from the Court of Session in Edinburgh on August 4, he compared his victory over the gutter press, right wing, union bashing News of the World to Gretna…
The Rising Phoenix
The rising phoenix Learn the lessons and defend the SSP The last two years have been a turbulent and destructive time for the SSP. Starting with the Emergency Executive meeting in November 2004, which led to Tommy Sheridan’s resignation as convenor, through to the ordeal of the libel court case he brought in the full…
The Republican Communist Network Welcomes the Formation of the SSP United Left
This statement was issued in the wake of the founding of the UL platform Shared values and concerns The RCN welcomes the formation of the new SSP–UL platform. The SSP United Left Statement (June 11th, 2006) makes a number of important points with which we are in agreement. The SSP, since its inception, has been…
Equal Fights
Here we reproduce excerpts from an interview that Carolyn Leckie (SSP MSP) gave to Bridget Morris (published in Sunday Herald on 4 June 2006). Women’s vital role in the struggle From an early age, I considered myself a socialist, and spoke out about inequality, class and poverty. For as long as I can remember, I’ve…
A critique and exposure of Tommy Sheridan’s ‘Daily Record’ and the ‘SSP has reached the crossroad ‘manifestoes’’
Allan Armstrong (Republican Communist Network) examines the politics behind the ‘SSP Majority’s’ letter and Sheridan’s contributions to the Daily Record i) Tommy’s battle against the News of the World Tommy Sheridan has won a famous victory over the News of the World. This has been proclaimed by Tommy’s immediate supporters, the SWP and CWI, and…
SSP United Left Statement
In response to Tommy Sheridan’s Open Letter (above) and the events at National Council 28th May, the SSP United Left platform was formed. This is their founding statement. 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.…
SSP Crisis: Rebuild on Socialist Principle
A statement from the Workers’ Unity platform in the SSP The split in the Scottish Socialist Party is a tragedy. The Workers’ Unity platform has made strong criticisms of important aspects of the SSP policy and strategy. We were specifically formed to oppose the SSP’s turn to nationalism. And to oppose its determination to split…
Meetings and Documents, November 2004
Background Information Paper, Allan Green, SSP National Secretary This document was produced by the SSP National Secretary in the run up to the National Council meeting on 28th May 2006. He details, in chronological order, the meetings and decisions taken by SSP bodies in November 2004 and corrects some of the distortions that had become…
Open Letter to SSP members
YES to class solidarity and socialist unity; NO to political witch-hunts and personal character assassinations Tommy Sheridan and his supporters distributed this letter to the media and delegates at the SSP‘s National Council meeting on 28th May 2006. Comrades I write this letter with a very heavy heart. The Party I have invested so much…
After the Verdict
Following the announcement of the trial verdict, Alan McCombes, the SSP‘s policy and press coordinator wrote an assessment entitled The fight for the truth, which was reproduced in an SSP Members’ Bulletin. We did not have enough space to reprint it in the magazine, so present the extract we published SSP United-Left statement in response…