Alex Miller
On September 2, close to 400 members of the Scottish Socialist Party attended a Glasgow rally dedicated to "Unity, integrity and socialism". It took place in the wake of the announcement that two former SSP platforms, those controlled by the London-based Socialist Workers Party and the Committee for a Workers International, were splitting from the party to form a group called "Solidarity: Scotland's Socialist Movement". The platforms are joined by two former SSP parliamentarians, Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne.
Speakers at the SSP rally included former Labour MSP John McAllion, who joined the SSP earlier in the year. The September 3 Sunday Herald reported McAllion said: "If the SSP had not been set up before, it would be the duty of socialists to set it up now. It would be a betrayal of historic proportions to allow it to be destroyed now."
The BBC reported that SSP national convener Colin Fox told the rally the SSP "achieved a historically remarkable project, we brought the left together, something the left on a British-wide basis was unable to achieve. The paradox is that now it is best for Tommy Sheridan and the SSP to separate because of the damage that being associated with Tommy Sheridan would do to the SSP. Neither I nor the vast majority of SSP members have been persuaded of the case Tommy Sheridan puts forward for another party with an identical political program."
After the rally, Green Left Weekly spoke to a number of participants. Brian Pollit, of the Maryhill North branch, said that "After so many months of self-destructive infighting, I thought the rally boosted SSP members' morale immensely. It was good humoured, internationalist in spirit, but members left determined to return to our main task of working for an independent socialist Scotland!"
Jim Bollan, an SSP councillor, echoed Pollit's comments. Bollan said the rally "was a great success". "We now need to get back to what we are best at in the SSP, working hard with and for our communities in the many social campaigns being fought the length and breadth of Scotland.
"All SSP members should be proud of the party's record. We have an excellent base to build on and the news that we are around 5% in the polls for the second vote for the Scottish Parliament elections next year is extremely encouraging given the traumatic time the party has came through.
"There is no doubt the vast majority of the thinkers and doers have remained in the SSP, and members who left are returning in numbers along with new members. Exciting times are ahead and the enthusiasm shown at the rally needs to be taken out onto the streets to help us to win the hearts and minds to the socialist cause."
Andy McPake, a leading Scottish Socialist Youth activist, commented that the rally "was a real departure from other political rallies". "All over Europe rallies tend to be high profile men in the movement, getting up and beating their chests for an hour and boring everyone. This was different.
"The rally did not just centre on speakers there were videos shown, slam poetry (much better than it sounds), singing, and speakers tried to avoid the usual macho nonsense. There was a space on the wall were the audience could give their views as to what they want the party to be like.
"Today was characterised by a party determined to embrace new ideas and new people. A party serious about becoming a feminist and egalitarian organisation ... Perhaps our best days are ahead of us."
Rosie Kane, MSP for Glasgow, summed up: "As soon as people started arriving at the rally I knew things would be okay. It's been a hellish couple of years but there was a feeling that we had turned a corner. The highlights for me were numerous. As people gathered I knew I was where I should be — which was back with my comrades. This was what I joined the party for. I was again in a room with bright, courageous, creative socialists who have principles, dignity and integrity.
"After what we have all been through the rally was like an antidote. We can and must move forward and we can now build the SSP as it always should have been."
[Videos shown at the rally can be viewed at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDQ-gHqeZ6M> and <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6voRU3eLQM>.]