SSP Conference 2013

Today's Scottish Socialist Party conference in Edinburgh signalled a renewal of the party in many ways.

The conference reiterated a commitment to a fair, poverty and nuclear free Scotland- an independent country, prosperous with re-distributed resources, labour, and power.

After positive, progressive motions were discussed, conference heard from Co-convenors Sandra Webster and Colin Fox; Dennis Cannavan from the Yes campaign and Jonathan Shafi from the Radical Independence Campaign.

This years conference was live tweeted ( @The_SSP_) and included video and powerpoints ( the video can be seen in yesterday's post below).

This conference was the emergence of a new party of ideas and discussion.

A party for the people. A party that fights alongside the people. A party of the people.

SSP Campsie join hundreds in Troon...

...to ask the self interest group "Scottish Tories" to leave us alone and stop robbing us.

The bile that came from the Tory Conference was incredible.  They told us Scots again and again, we are too thick to run our own country and to leave it to the English Tory Party.  They told us that Scotland would be over-run by "immigrants" after independence.  Well, if they WOULD steal from the English working class, of course they will want to move to a fair independent Scotland!

The message from protesters, who outnumbered the delegates 4 to 1 and in the week that the Tories announced the robbery of pensioners and stole our NHS was, no more Tory rule from Westminster.

Photos:  Sandra Webster and Andy Harvey

Photographer, Andy Harvey said of this photo, "Tory delegates protected by the police like animals in a zoo after they decided to come out to "confront" the demonstrators.  

Unison 'Alternatives to Cuts conference' TODAY!

See the UNISON site for details.

Click on images below for larger version or view in PDF

EIS conference backs fight against cuts

In light of what happened in East Dunbartonshire over the last fortnight (the shortest and most effective campaign in the history of the Campsies?) it is fantastic to come to the conference of Scotland’s overwhelmingly largest teaching union – the EIS – and find that teachers are ready to stand up for our communities and services beyond the classroom door.

If there was a theme to day two of the conference, it was the opposition of teachers to the cuts, and like the small political parties, highlighting the fact that there IS an alternative to them other than the solution given by the large, mainstream parties. Motion 51 was passed unhindered. It calls for a ballot to strike to fight the budget cuts next March. If the membership vote for this, this will give a clear message to the mainstream parties and millionaire run press that even the professional middle classes are not “getting” the need for these cuts.

David Cameron and the Tories have been very clever in how they are playing public sector worker off public sector worker. They have re-framed their message from “cuts are inevitable” to “who do you want to suffer rather than you?” Trying to play off profession against profession, worker off worker – building on the disgusting Thatcherisation of society begun back in 1979. Thank Marx that the Scottish people do not buy this selfish and self defeating message. The last time we had a debt as huge as this (one not created by millionaires, but by World War Two and the fight against fascism) the government took the only line that could ensure no-one starved and everyone benefitted – they set up the welfare state, and indeed our wonderful NHS, the envy of the world. Unfortunately all of the mainstream parties are wanting to get rid of what was the countries saviour in those debt ridden and austere times in order to save the rich from paying for their crisis.

Speeches from the EIS podium called for redistribution of the billionaires and bankers wealth. People called for the scrapping of trident, and one speaker even called for the disbanding of the army, asking the question, “what has the military ever given us only the death of our soldiers?” Others spoke about the waste of people and resources in the Afghanistan theatre of war and others said “keep the dustmen and sack the spin doctors – who would you miss first?”

Amongst other superb debates, one that stood out, and will be revisited I am very sure, was one on banning the BNP, SDL or EDL from educating our children. Even though this motion was defeated (only just- and because some people were unsure banning was the most effective way to fight the fascists), what emerged from conference was an overwhelming distaste for the fact that fascists are allowed near our children. Those who led and spoke on the anti-fascist side on this issue were brilliant, emotive (one delegate spoke about the recent anti-Semite threats her daughter had received) and persuasive.

All in all, the conference has shown our teachers to be progressive and are definitely on the side of the working classes – and PTA’s – in this fight against the unrepresentative ConDemNation.

To see bigger version of SSP EIS Voice, please click on the images below.

SSP Conference

This weekend was the Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Socialist Party. Over 100 delegates from all over Scotland met in the Victoria Halls in Dunblane.

The Party re-iterated it's conviction to fighting the Parties of war and capitalism, and we were unanimous in supporting a fightback against cuts and the mainstream parties who are making the poor and working class pay for an economic crisis caused by the rich.


Willie Telfer, Campsie Branch, speaks to conference about why we need to fight the cuts and the neo-liberal Labour, Tory, SNP and Liberal Democrat Partys.


Allan Armstrong introduces the new "John Maclean Society" - a new society set up for non-domiciled supporters of the Scottish Socialist Party.

SSP Conference TODAY!

Scottish Socialist Party - 2010 Conference.

Saturday 27th March 10.30 am .– 5.00 pm.

Victoria Hall Dunblane.

SSP – General Election 2010 Policy & Campaigning

10.30am – Registration. Saturday £5 & £3, Saturday & Sunday £9 & £5.

Morning session 11am - 1pm .

Introduction – Frances Curran SSP Co Spokesperson.

Discussion Groups.

1. Afganestan .End the occupation bring the troops home – Colin Fox.

2. Scottish Independence – Alan Mc Combes.

3. Fighting Racism & Fascism – Liam Turbett.

4. Capitalism in Crisis – Raphie De Santos.

5.The Environment – Johanna Dind.

Report back & recommendations from discussion groups.

1-2 Lunch.

Afternoon session 2pm - 5pm.

Introduction – Colin Fox SSP Co Spokesperson.

Discussion Groups

1. SSP & Using the Media – Ken Ferguson.

2. SSP – The internet, social networking & electronic media –Eddie
Trueman.

3. The election campaign, public work, campaign material and
canvassing – Kevin McVey.

4. Finance & Membership, funding the campaigns, how we raise funds,
where the money goes & recruiting new members – Jim McVicar.

Report back & recommendations from discussion groups

SSP CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND

The SSP AGM will be held this weekend on Arran... details HERE

Friends and members welcome!

Campsie Branch meeting

Campsie Branch meeting, Wednesday 25th, 7.30pm Milton of Campsie Village Hall.

We will be discussing the upcoming SSP Arran Conference.

WILLIE TELFER MAKES BIG IMPACT AT PCS CONFERENCE

Scottish Socialist Party members who are delegates to this week’s PCS national conference in Brighton have made a huge impact.
They’re speaking on issues like privatisation, and are moving a major motion to commit the union to an £8-an-hour minimum wage for all workers and trainees over 16.
Colin Fox, the Scottish Socialist Party’s national convener, was a guest speaker at the Department of Transport PCS group conference on our case for free public transport - which was then debated and agreed as policy, moved by Campsie Branch SSP member, and Twechar Housing campaigner, Willie Telfer and supported by the union’s Group Executive Committee.


Willie has also been re-elected as UK-wide Assistant Group Secretary of the union in the transport section.
Meantime longstanding socialist and SSP member John Jamieson has been elected to the PCS national executive committee, as part of an almost total clean sweep for the Democracy Alliance of socialists and democrats.
And our efforts are not restricted to the PCS. At the Fire Brigades Union national conference Scottish Socialist Party members were at the heart of a solidarity collection for the Sunvic strikers, raising £1,500 to help sustain their battle against vicious treatment by scab-hiring bosses.
And in a debate around the FBU and political links, during which a motion to re-affiliate the union to New Labour was overwhelmingly defeated, SSP member Jimmy Scott successfully moved an amendment which re-stated the FBU’s commitment to “a socialist form of society”, a longstanding FBU rule-book clause which collides with New Labour’s whole philosophy and practice.