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One year ago, socialists from all over Scotland joined together to form the Scottish Labour Party. Its best known member was obviously Jim Sillars MP, but its ranks included socialists from many different parts of the socialist movement. For the bulk of its members there were two central questions: firstly the necessity to fight back against the disastrous antiworking class policies of the Government and secondly an understanding of the 'importance of the national question in Scotland and opposition to its manipulation by the SNP.
The history of the SLP is well known. Its Stirling conference in October 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 expelled.
The Scottish Socialist League was set up by expelled socialists who wanted to carry through the job that the reformism of Jim Sillars could not manage. Our members are active in trade unions trades councils and tenants organisations all over Scotland; in these District elections we are standing candidates in Falkirk, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. We present this manifesto as the basis of a socialist alternative to the decades of complacency and right wing policies of the Labour Party and to the pro-capitalist nationalism of the SNP.