"All the so-called mainstream parties in Scotland are now on the right of the political spectrum, to varying degrees, and all are totally committed to the failed capitalist system. It is only the SSP that’s over there, on the left, with the people of Scotland. That’s why I’ve joined the Scottish Socialist Party, to help in the fight for a better, fairer Scotland." 
Migrant workers face sackings and threats of deportation, just for trying to establish secure work contracts, safe working conditions and a living wage. Alberto Durango, a Colombian worker sacked from his job at the Union Bank of Switzerland office in London, is at the centre of a campaign to organise cleaners.
"If
ever evidence was needed of Labour's capitulation to Thatcherism look no further
than their disgraceful complicity with Royal Mail management in their provocative
attempts to break this week's national postal strike."
SSP members and supporters have been busy distributing 100,000 full colour bulletins the length and breadth of Scotland over the past week. 
"The SSP will use the election campaign as a platform to promote mass defiance to the imposition of cuts, whilst elaborating a socialist alternative that will call for a massive re-distribution of wealth from rich to poor and for a massive extension of the public ownership of Scotland’s economic resources to offset the need for the destruction of the welfare state to pay for capitalist greed." Kevin McVey, SSP Natiional Secretary
Simon Whittle on the life of Malcom McLaren, cultural revolutionary and music pioneer, manager of the Sex Pistols, hated and persecuted by the establishment, who died on April the 8th 2010, leaving behind a legacy that changed popular music forever. 
On the 1st of February 2009, 9 members of the Scottish Socialist Party travelled
to Havana to take part in a 15 day programme of meetings, visits and cultural
events organised by the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. The
Delegation consisted of 3 members of the Executive Committee, two of which
were also on the international committee. Members were from branches in Glasgow,
Edinburgh, Rutherglen and Fife.End fuel poverty scandal
Campaigning against gas and electricity price rises
Scottish Power has just announced a 19% rise in gas and electricity bills. With 770,000 Scots already in fuel poverty, up from 293,000 in 2002, the time has come to say enough is enough. The SNP Government promised to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland by 2014. This pledge has now been abandoned as the power companies continue to rip us off.
- Letter in The Herald and Scotsman newspapers
- Scots reach boiling point over gas bills
- Fox rounds on Salmond over fuel poverty
Campaign material
- Petition for street campaigning (PDF)
- End the energy rip off leaflet (PDF)
- A4 energy rip off colour poster (as above) (PDF)
Trade union news
Striking for a living wage at Stow College
"At the heart of the dispute is the struggle for the extremely modest Scottish Living Wage (£7.20 an hour) and against prvatisation of cleaning and catering. " Read more...
Now strike together !
"Those who marched together on 1st October need to strike together on St Andrews Day – and persuade the rest of Scotland’s 600,000 public sector workers to do likewise.
"That would not only be a massive hammer-blow to the Cuts Coalition at Westminster, who have already had to do U-turns and partial retreats on forestry privatisation, some benefit cuts, some of the coastguard station closures and other plans when faced with opposition from tiny fragments of the working class."
Download a PDF file of Socialist Voice cuts special
Students rise up to defend education
Hetherington Occupation Victory!
We students have built an alternative
The Free Hetherington is invicible
Heatherington re-occupied - BBC story
Scottish Socialist Youth: Violent eviction at Glasgow Uni leads to… another occupation!
Frances Curran speaks out against heavy handed policing.
Hundreds march down 'republican mile' (STV story)
SSP conference motion in support of peoples revolutions, against Western intervention in Libya
UNITE calls for end to Western intervention in Libya
Prescription Charges abolished in Scotland after 50 years...
Photo set by Louisefeminista on Flickr...
Public Sector Voice for March 26th demo (PDF)...
Just say no to nuclear
Events in Japan have once again reminded the world of the appalling dangers of nuclear power. We republish an article from 2008 explaining why the SSP is opposed to nuclear power.
Campaigning against spending cuts
Put a million on the march
"Scottish UNISON unanimously agreed to call for a one-day public sector strike in Scotland at its December meeting of branch delegates.
"The time has arrived for such words to be acted upon - and a one-day strike built amongst Scotland’s 630,000 public sector workers."
Bank of England chief says bankers caused crisis
"The price of this financial crisis is being borne by people who absolutely did not cause it".
SSP leaflet for STUC rally (PDF)
'Cameron lose your smile, let’s do this Egyptian style'; direct action in Glasgow, SSY blog.
Resist the scrooges - unite against the cuts
Letter from SSP councillor Jim Bollan
Download a copy of our detailed anti cuts leaflet...
Download a Polish language SSP anti-cuts leaflet...
Fighting cuts ? Join the SSP today...
Public spending cuts in Scotland
Who says there are no alternatives?
"The fact is there are plenty of alternatives to mass unemployment, to students being denied the chance to study, to enforced homelessness, increased violence and worsening crime rates as our society further disintegrates."
Read Colin Fox in the Morning Star...
First 100 days of a Scottish socialist government
Read Raphie De Santos on the 2011 SNP Scottish budget
Massive backdoor cuts on the way...
Scotland faces £5bn 'back-door robbery'...
Read immediate reaction to the SNP government proposed buget.
Read Richie Venton on the way ahead in the campaign against public spending cuts...
20,000 demonstrate in Edinburgh against public spending cuts...
SSP leaflet for demo (PDF file)...
What next after the STUC march?
Royal Weddings - what a carry on
Tam Dean Burn as Her Majesty at 2004 Calton Hill rally for a democratic republic as the Queen opened the new Scottish Parliament building.
"We here in Britain also have an unelected head of state just as far removed from the daily life of the population as Hosni Mubareak or Muamir Gaddafy"
Read Colin Fox; For a modern democratic republic..
"The royals have kindly agreed to provide us with two weddings this year to keep our minds off other things. The triumphalist two royal weddings could lead to an altogether different outcome - a republican funeral for the UK."
Read Allan Armstrong; 2 weddings and a holiday - Royalism gone mad...
If you support the SSP's call for a Scottish socialist republic then join us today.
Join us in the international call to end the war in Afghanistan. War on Want was founded in 1951 after a postcard campaign initiated by Victor Gallancz against the Korean War. In 2011 the Scottish Socialist Party is supporting the international call to end the occupation of Afghanistan. Add your name to the campaign here...
Read Raphie De Santos on the Spending Review...
Letter in The Herald on Afghanistan by Colin Fox
Unmistakable signs of progress for the SSP in Edinburgh by-election contest...
Weapons of resistance to the cuts
In building a resistance movement capable of stopping the cuts to services, benefits, jobs, pay and pensions, we need our own weapons of resistance. Read more here...
Fighting the cuts: fine words and defiant deeds
The devastation looming towards communities and workforces – both public- and private-sector –is beginning to sink into the minds of millions. In recent days, a series of hard-hitting facts and studies have exposed the realities we face, unless a mighty movement of rallies, demonstrations and ultimately coordinated strikes (alongside civil disobedience) is built to halt the Millionaires’ Cabinet. Read more here...
UNISON Strategy Conference: A better way for public services
The Scottish Socialist Party applauds the trade union and community anti-cuts conference called by Scottish UNISON.
We desperately need unity to defeat the Twin Tories’ butchery of jobs, services, pay, pensions and benefits. Read Public Sector Voice (PDF file) here....
Cuts: no divisions, no delay in action
"Trade unions need to name the days for united mass protests and give people confidence that there is a resistance movement that can defeat the attempts to prop up the bankers and billionaires at terrible cost to working class people. " Read more...
- SSP jobs cull prediction confirmed...
- SSP national workplace organiser Richie Venton on trade union opposition to spending cuts...
- Photos by John Lanigan of Glasgow anti cuts protest...
- SSP Red Shirts protest against Tory Butchery and LibDem Treachery...
- SSP signs international statement on European crisis by left organisations
Basque solidarity meeting
More photos from the Basque solidarity meeting by John Lanigan are here...
Workers victory in Pakistan
Faisalabad power loom workers have won a total victory, winning a 17% increase in wages. Attempts to intimidate workers including the murder of trade union leader Mustansar Randhawa backfired dramatically and reinforced the determination of the workers. Read Farooq Tariq here...
- .SSP letter to Pakistan consulate protesting against the repression of striking workers...
- Labour Party Pakistan General Secretary visits Scotland, 2010...
SSY protest against prohibition
Scottish Socialist Youth organised another highly successful Legalise Cannabis demo in Glasgow.
What’s crippling Greece is the IMF, not the General Strikes...
SSP Alternative Budget
A People not Profit budget, June 2010
"The SSP's alternative budget is based on equality, democracy and sustainability, to deliver a better economic future based on people, not profit."
- Read the SSP's Alternative Budget summary....
- Download the full SSP Alternative Budget (PDF)...
- Read Raphie De Santos on alternatives to public spending cuts to reduce public deficit...
- Read Raphie De Santos UK Budget analysis here...
- Campbell Martin writes on the Butcher's Budget...
Economic Crisis
Rich List shows rich get richer
Despite the recession the rich continue to get richer acorrding to the latest Sunday Times Rich List figures. The combined wealth of Britain's 1,000 richest people rose by more than £77bn to £333.5bn, with the number of billionaires up from 43 to 53. Raphie De Santos looks at the data here...
-
Read in depth economic analysis on the LeftBanker website...
- Budget cuts will push UK into recession...
- There is an updated version of Raphie's 'The state of the UK economy' Download a PDF file here...
Afghanistan
Time For Peace
Each week the toll mounts and another family watches the coffins unloaded to promenade through Wooton Basset while grubby politicians mouth platitudes and squabble as to who can best run the war.
But there is another story.
Across Scotland, from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, the SSP has been campaigning against the war and finding the growing mood of opposition to it and support for a withdrawal.
Read Ken Ferguson, 'Time For Peace' here...
'Socialist and Afghan leaders join forces for anti-war talks' Edinburgh Evening News story...
Do you support the SSP's call for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan ?
Photos from Edinburgh demo for end to occupation of Afghanistan
Afghan war grinds towards defeat
Afghanistan - how many more will die ?
Shameless politicians declare Afghan victory
Afghanistan for the Afghans
Campaigning material, PDF files
Victory in East Dunbartonshire
Victory for schools campaigners in East Dunbartonshire. Read more here...
Scotland marches for International Workers Day, May 2010
SSP banners on the Cut Trident Not Jobs demo, Edinburgh. More photos by John Lanigan here...
Hundreds march for asylum rights, Scottish Socialist Youth report from Glasgow demo here...
Leaflet from Red Road flats demo (PDF file)...
Opposing racism and fascism
Saturday 20th February 2010, Edinburgh
A fantastic turnout of grass roots militant anti-fascists prevented the SDL from marching.
There are photos by John Lanigan here...
Read SSY report on events here...
Fascist 'Scottish Defence League' routed in Glasgow, Read Andy Bowden on the SSY blog
Pictures by John Lanigan here...
'Let's all stop the fascists'' by Liam Turbett
Read the SSP's leaflet for the event here (PDF file)
Colin Fox: BBC puts fascists on prime time tv...
Join the SSP in the fight against racism and fascism today !
Pictures from Nae tae G20 in St Andrews !
Read Raphie De Santos
on the G20 here...
Independence & republicanism
Tam Dean Burn with Colin Fox and Rosie Kane at the SSP's Calton Hill republican event 2004
Bloody Sunday: a day's work for the British Army...
Union Jack Gordon bows the knee to House of Windsor...
Thatcher's legacy kept alive by Brown
"At the heart of the New Labour project lies its complete rejection of any Socialist politics and endorsement of the Thatcherite view worshiping the free market and the rich." Read Ken Ferguson...
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy
Labour’s government of the unelected
"The Labour Government is a caricature of a Britain long gone, a vivid
testament to how Labour has abandoned its founders.
"The first vote passed at the first Labour conference in 1900 was to abolish the House of Lords.
"In 2009 Labour depends on it to rule the people."
Colin Fox on the need for a modern, democratic, republic here...
Voting reform: Brown's timid window dressing
Andrew Weir looks at the different possible voting systems in the wake of the Westminster constitutional crisis. Read more here...
Greedy MPs expose Westminster
"The ongoing crisis over MP’s expenses has unexpectedly holed the British ship of state below the water line. Suddenly, the Mother of all Parliaments faces a collapse of political authority without parallel in its modern history. The first Speaker forced to resign in disgrace in 300 years has quickly been followed by the first Lords to be suspended for corruption in 300 years." Read John McAllion here...
Viva La Repblica ! Read Allan Armstrong on socialism and republicanism here...
Allan Armstrong on the Republican Socialist Convention...
"The class struggle in Scotland has always been both nationalist
and socialist.
The 1787 massacre of striking Calton weavers by British soldiers is generally
recognised as marking the beginning of an organised, effective Scottish labour
movement.
The weavers’ banner on that day showed Scotland’s national hero William
Wallace striking down the beast of tyranny."John
McAllion on socialism & independence ...
Scotland's Hidden History
Read Eddie Truman on Scotland's hidden history here...