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The founding conference of the Scottish Socalist League in Glascow on March 12th and 13th marked a new development for the socialist wing of the SIP expelled by Jim Sillars last October.
One year ago, socialists from all over Scotland Joined together to form the Scottish Labour Party. Its best known member was obviously Sillars, but its ranks included socialists from many different strands of the labour movement. For most there were two central questions; first the necessity to fight back against the disastrous anti-working class policies of the labour government. Secondly, an understanding of the importance of the national question in Scotland and opposition to its manipulation by the SNP.
The subsequent history of the SLP is well known. Its first congress saw a vicious witch-hunt against all opposition to the reformism of Jim Sillars. Members from all over Scotland including half the active branches were expelied.
The Scottish Socialist Beague has been Tormed by these expelled socialists to carry through the original task of the SLP after its sabotage by Sillars reformism and capitulation to the SNP:
MEMBERSHIP
The founding conference brought together socialists from Glasgow, Paisley, Hamilton, Falkirk, Stirling, Edinburgh, Leith, Aberdeen, Perth and Ayrshire. The majority of delegates were active in trade unions including AUEW, T&GWU, G&MWU, NALGO, EIS, NUPE, UCATT, CPSA, NUR, EETPU and APEX. Many of the delegates were active in the women's movement, and the Aberdeen branch reported a majority of women members. REVOLUTIONARY PARTY
After a long period of internal discussion, the SSL unequivocally declared itself a revolutionary Marxist Party in the trudition of John MacLean and James Connolly. It expressed its commitment to the "creation of a classless society based on production for need not profit organised through soviel democracy". It committed itself to fight for a mass working class revolutionary party capable of providing the leadership in the struggle against the capitalist state", , and for the unity of the working class and its organisations in that struggle" REVOLUTIONARY UNITY The conference recognised that "general tactical differences separate the many groups of the far left today which should not be fudged over but debated and overcome in a democratic und fraternal manner". It believed, however, that where there was "agreement
on the fundamentals of a revolutionary
programme, tactical differences should not
stand in the way of unification".
It lavoured the eventual reunification of all revolutionary organisations and the formation of a united British revolutionary
marxist party. FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
Noting that capitalism is an international system, conference rejected the notion of a Scottish road to socialism. Capitalism could only be combatted "by the working class developing a line and organising its intervention on an international scale," ie. by
building an international revolutionary
party. Conference decided to participate
in the series of discussions the Fourth
International is now having with a number
of international currents with a view to
joint work and eventual political association.
As a concrete expression of this internationalism, fraternal delegates from the ING, the British Section of the Fourth International!
and Workers" Power participated in the discussion. It was also agreed to seck to
participate in the Ilth World Congress of the
Fourth International.
NATIONAL QUESTION
On the national question, the conference
committed itself to argue in all Labour
movement bodies in Scotland and Britain
as a whole for:
*Respect for the right of the Scottish people to determine their own relationship
to the rest of Britain.
*The disciplining of Labour MPs who
attempted to thwart this right by opposing the Devolution Bill guillotine.
*A Labour Movement campaign for an
clected assembly to be organised by the
STUC and affiliated bodies in conjunction
with all Labour movement parties.
Conference rejected a resolution that Scotland was an oppressed nation and that
therefore the immediate task was to fight for separation from England and Wales. Likewise conference rejected another resolution that support for the democratic right of an elected assembly was a capitulation to the SNP.
Conference declared its firm opposition to the capitalist nationalism of the SNP, which would benefit the oil bosses rather than working people. It called for a vote against the SNP and for labour movement
parties.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Conference went on record as believing that any socialist party had to make the fight for women's rights a major priority. The SSI committed itself to supporting the call for a rally on women's rights One Year on from the Sex Discrimination Act, to be held in Glasgow on May 7. DEMOCRACY
In sharp distinction to the conference of Jim Sillars" SLP last year, the SSL founding conference provided a working example of democracy inside the labour movement. Ample time was allotted for differing positions to be put. The clection of a National Committee was carried out in such a way as to ensure adequate representation of these different positions on the leadership of the new party. Conference exercised positive discrimination in favour of women in the election of the leadership. DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Conference recognised the first task of the new organisation was to turn the SSL outwards after a long period of internal discussion first in the SLP and then in the new party.
It decided to stand candidates in the May District elections on the basis of opposition to the Social Contract, the need for the construction of a socialist alternative to the Labour Party and the SNP, and the call for immediate elections to a Scottish Assembly which would decide its own powers.
STEVEN KENNEDY. National Secretary, Scottish Socialist Leaguc.