CWI on Scottish Elections

by Eamon Fri May 11, 2007 09:59

Solidarity did indeed outpoll the SSP, but this has more to do with Tommy Sheridan's celebrity status than it does about politics. And if the SSP are now finished, as a result of one poor election, where does that leave the tiny, irrelevant micro-grouping that Stott belongs to, which amounts to little more than a dozen activists (on a good day) in the Glasgow area?

The truth of the situation is that the Scottish left has been badly damaged by the antics of Sheridan. He has ripped apart the forces of the Left and is responsible for the fact that there are now no socialist MSPs in Holyrood.

Stott can offer as many tired cliche-ridden 'analyses' as he wants--laughable as they are--but he knows full well that Solidarity was founded on the basis of a massive lie by Sheridan, and purely to assuage his oversized ego. There was no political justification for the split and there remains no political justification for the existence of Solidarity. By rowing in behind all of this, the so-called CWI--who, humorously, I presume, claim to be a Trotskyist organisation, ( And it is difficult to imagine that such a hard-headed revolutionary as Trotsky would have had anything but the deepest contempt for an insincere chancer like Sheridan) confirm their absolute lack of integrity and lapse into the most crass opportunism imaginable.

As for the future, there is every likelihood that Sheridan will face perjury proceedings this year, and could well end up behind bars. Solidarity will fall apart if this happens.

As for Tommy himself, such an event would probably serve to deepen his celebrity status, and ensure that if he ever stood for election again, he would receive some votes. But these would not be votes for socialism. In this respect, they would be a bit like the votes that Solidarity received last week.

by Share A Tan Fri May 11, 2007 11:30

"Not only were the SSP wiped out in terms of parliamentary representation but it was Solidarity that clearly emerged as the main socialist force winning 70% of the socialist vote."

Delusional crap. Solidarity were wiped out as well. They lost 100% of their parliamentary representation too. And from my nursery school maths iirc 70% of nothing is nothing.
And what was the result in council seats. Would that have been a disappointing one seat each?
A bad day for socialism in Scotland for all concerned.
But sure keep up with the Alistair Campbell like spinning, we all need humour in this dark time.

by aiden Fri May 11, 2007 11:58

The CWI Socialist Party statement is premature. I think the SWP could exit Solidarity to start RESPECT in Scotland where they would have more control. Solidarity would then be 'f@xked'. The CWI would be left with Sherry-tan who will never tow any line or take any instruction from anybody.

The SSP will bounce back from the result.

by Leftist Fri May 11, 2007 12:28

One has to look at how far the socialist vote in Scotland has collapsed, to gauge the depth of the current disaster. From well over 100,000 votes at one point to this is a monumental disaster. There are many factors in this, but the CWI account simply holds no water. Among the many contradictions in their propaganda is this: there is not the slightest basis, politically, for the SSP split. There were no political differences of any substance that could not have been accommodated within the SSP framework.

The only calculation that appears to have been at work is that they could pick up a few more recruits for their own sect by clinging to Sheridan's coat-tails - a sectarian mindset that is pretty much what one expects from Peter Taaffe and co at this stage. What I find revealing is that the SP in Ireland have it seems gone along with this, without a murmur of protest. They have been complicit in unravelling a relatively successful socialist unity project, and helped reduce socialist forces back to a marginalised rump. It does not auger well for their future in Ireland or internationally - rather, it would appear that anytime they have to choose between genuinely helping to build the movement or securing what will I am certain be a short term benefit for their sect building project, they choose the latter. And, remarkably, all without ever learning a damn thing from repeated failures.

by Jolly Green Giant - Socialist Party/CWI Fri May 11, 2007 14:31

I am not going to go over the who, what, when, where and why of the split in the SSP again. I has really been flogged to death.

However I would like to make a comment on the outcome of the Scottish elections and correct an inaccuracy.

First the inaccuracy -

The International Socialists/CWI in Scotland is not 'little more than a dozen activists in Glasgow' - the International Socialists have been growing steadily over the past period. A member of the CWI was the lead candidate on the Solidarity list in the West of Scotland region and a number of members of the CWI stood as Solidarity candidates in the local elections in Dundee. Futhermore, the President of the PCS union is a member of the International Socialists.

Second on the Scottish elections:

Yes - the elections were a serious setback for the left in Scotland. Along with that the election succeeded in wiping out five of the seven Green seats as well. Irrespective of the split given the nature of the election (a straight fight between the SNP and LP) it was likely that the SSP would have lost five of its six seats anyway - given the squeeze on the smaller parties. The primary result of the split was to create a situation that Sheridan lost out as well (the combined Solidarity/SSP vote would have got Sheridan elected).

Now - My opinion - For Solidarity this was not a good result - Solidarity lost both seats achieving 31,000+ votes (1.6%). Solidarity won 1 council seat in Glasgow. The only real bright spot is that Solidarity is the largest left party in Scotland - this is a fact. Another fact is that Solidarity has only existed for a few months and has had to make a lot of effort in the build up to the elections (credit is due for this).

For the SSP, as McCoombes said, it was a 'massacre'. The SSP claimed to have held all the activists after the split - yet members now admit that it ran paper candidates in some areas. The SSP got 12,700+ votes (0.6%). But the scale of the lose can be demonstrated by some other things. The SSP finished behind Scargill's ghost party the SLP, which parachuted candidates in from England, in every region. The SSP finished behind the BNP in every region. The SSP finished behind various 'Christian' parties in every region. The SSP managed to hold a council seat in Dunfermline, but lost its seat in Glasgow, polling behind Solidarity. Sitting SSP MSP, Rosie Kane (who had a weekly political column in a Scottish newspaper), came last in her council ward with 224 votes. The leader of the SSP, Colin Fox, came seventh out of eleven candidates in his council ward in Edinburgh with 208 votes and also failed to win a seat. In practically every council area where Solidarity and the SSP stood against one another, Solidarity came out ahead of the SSP, sometimes with two or three times the vote.

There is no way back for the SSP. There are a completely spent force and, unfortunately, this was the inevitable outcome from the day they walked into court to give evidence against Sheridan. Whatever chance the left in Scotland has of salvaging anything from this mess lies with Solidarity. Will it succeed, I don't know, but if it doesn't then the process of building the left will have to start all over again - almost certainly without any of the leadership elements within the SSP. Rumours are already rampant that McCoombes is emigrating to Australia and it is likely that many of the others will drift out of politics altogether, or continue to hang around the fringes whinging about Sheridan and trying to have him jailed. Whether they succed or not - will it really serve any purpose in relation to building the left in Scotland?

by Non CWI Fri May 11, 2007 15:30

Reading the above from the CWI I have a question. Where are you getting your supply of magic mushrooms - my morale also needs a boost....

by Eamon Fri May 11, 2007 19:35

Thats where the jolly green giant/SP member must be residing if he believes what he has written. The tone was set at the start of his piece with his refusal to go into the factors behind the split--little wonder, considering the SP know full well that it was caused as a result of Comrade Tommy's lies and his massive ego, and had nothing to do with politics. As for the CWI being more than a dozen activists in Glasgow--maybe they claim more on paper, but, (as the SWP have shown since the year dot) paper members do not equate to activists. And if you remove old hands such as Ronnie and Eric Stevenson and count the new or young recruits, that figure becomes even lower.

Re the SSP, the result was terrible, but if you strip away Sheridan's celebrity status, and the high profile support he received from fellow unprincipled egomaniac, George galloway and misinformed elements such as Mark Steele, it is clear that the Solidarity organisation is nothing more than a hot-air balloon (led by one, too) which will burst when either Tommy goes to jail for perjury, or when the SWP and CWI fall out with each other, as they are bound to do sooner or later. The 30,000 votes they recieved are not votes for socialism, but votes for Tommy the media celebrity.

by Shan O'Quay Fri May 11, 2007 22:18

Once upon a time in this land of ours, there was a political party with lots of votes.
Then their leader thought he was indispensable,
Eoghan said, well done a wonderful job, made him a breath of fresh air, showed him how to see RIGHT from wrong. Took on the right wing press, over slander don't you know, he won, what a hero.
But now his party don't exist. The party he split remains. Just a tale, an Irish story.

by Rubert Da Bare Fri May 11, 2007 23:11

The primary result of the split was to create a situation that Sheridan lost out as well (the combined Solidarity/SSP vote would have got Sheridan elected)."

The CWI analysis distilled.
'Ah poor Tommy. -------------------------------------------------Fuck Socialism in Scotland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Jolly Red Giant - Socialist Party/CWI Sat May 12, 2007 00:37

and that is the sum total of the SSP analysis of the election result.

Unfortunately, and I stress unfortunately, the SSP is dead in the water. The party that had the potential to develop into a mass party of the working class in Scotland is now nothing more that a group of people who sole objective is shafting Sheridan. So much for building socialism.

Despite all its faults, and it has many, Solidarity is the only game in town, like it or lump it, and if it fails the cause of socialism in Scotland will be thrown back many more years than it already has. The bitterness of the split if it continues to permeate attempts to build a left party in Scotland will mean the task facing the working class will be infinately harder.

I have said enough - some people just don't want to hear.

by Eamon Sat May 12, 2007 11:29

If the purpose is to lead a genuine, revolutionary socialist movement, it is clear that Sheridan cannot do it. He proved last year that he is, in fact, a moral coward who could not take responsibility for his own actions, and who was willing to lie and slander others with less of a media profile than himself in order to protect his vanity. Cowards like Sheridan are worthless. How can anyone ever trust him again? Does anyone really believe that saving his own neck will ever come second to the needs of the socialist movement in his eyes? It won't. Tommy will always put himself first, no matter what. And he'll lie, cheat and back-stab in order to do this. What a future the socialist movement in Scotland has with him at the helm.

As for the SSP--time will tell. But they are still the only honest socialist organisation in Scottish politics. They were undoubtedly damaged by the spectacular fall out of Sheridan's trial. It is clear that many people do not believe that Tommy was in the wrong, and are not aware of the full facts of the situation. I hope that the truth does finally emerge, and that this situation will change. But whatever way it is looked at, the Sheridan libel issue has proved to be an absolute disaster for the cause of socialism in Scotland, and one from which it will take years to recover.

by former member Sat May 12, 2007 18:58

The motor force of progress is truth, and not lies. If 'Jolly Red Giant' and his CWI colleagues believe what they write here, they are nincompoops - and people of such low mental capacity that they cannot possibly strengthen socialism in Scotland . If, as I think is more likely, they know in their bones that Sheridan is an unstable liar (liable to detonate in the courts during the year ahead) and that they are wittingly lying on his behalf they are worse - people prepared to slander good socialist activists for narrow factional advantage. Again, such people can never build anything.

There can be no possible justification for splitting a socialist party in the absence of major political disagreement. None. Sheridan split, convinced that his personality and profile woudl secure him a parliamentary position, a solid public profile, and perhaps more. He was wrong. But for the CWI etc to go with him, without a shred of political justification, is an example of the type of sectarian lunacy they would castigate in others, and have done so before.

It is rather mealy mouthed to say now that they are not sure if Solidarity will grow, but that it is the only prospect for a way ahead - 'the only game in town'. This is the kind of insurance policy in which the CWI specialises - if Solidarity grows, we predicted it. If it collapses, we predicted that too. In actual fact, the evidence already tells us what will happen - within a year, two at the most, Solidarity will implode as a result of Sheridan's ego, as a result of his further exposure in the courts, and as a result of the unprincipled politicking of the CWI and SWP. It is an absolutely revolting and rotten business - the CWI has become a cesspitt, containing the decomposing remains of once great ideals. In tying itself to Sheridan, it throws further mud on its own diminishing reputation, and on socialist ideals in general.

I hope, for its own sake, that there are some sober members in side willing to question such a tragically awful General Line.

by Mark P - Socialist Party (personal capacity) Sat May 12, 2007 19:40

The endless and embittered whining from supporters of the rump SSP is I suppose only to be expected. But really, the only issue for socialists in Scotland is how to rescue as much as possible from the car wreck that the Scottish left has become. I'm not at all interested in going over the "Sheridan is a liar" versus "The SSP leadership sided with Murdoch" debate again.

In my view, and the view of the International Socialists in Scotland, the rump SSP is finished. It is demoralised. It is continuing to shrink. It has just lost its major source of income. And it has been utterly rejected at the polls, coming behind the phantom SLP, the BNP and the Christian parties. It will stagger on demoralised for some time, but there is no prospect of growth or recovery. I say that not to gloat. I was a member of the SSP. I still know a few of its members. Unlike most of its fans on the Irish left I'm familiar with its very real strengths (and its very real weaknesses). I think what has happened to the SSP is very sad, but regardless of whether you blame Sheridan (like our anonymous critics here) or the SSP leadership (as I do) it has happened.

Solidarity's future is rather less certain. It might collapse - and Sheridan himself and the SWP are the two big questions in that regard. But it also has the potential to grow. That makes it the place for socialists who are serious about rebuilding the workers movement to be.

By the way, you can find SSP supporters on their own boards and elsewhere gloating at the very thought of Sheridan being jailed for perjury. What few of them seem to realise is that a perjury trial, regardless of its outcome, would be the final nail in their own political coffins. I'm not familiar with the details of Scottish law but I suspect that it is overwhelmingly likely that any perjury trial would have to involve almost the entire SSP leadership being called as prosecution witnesses. What sort of shape do those who hate Sheridan so much that they hope he is removed from the field by the state think the build up to such a trial and the trial itself would leave the rump SSP in? The phrase "be careful what you wish for" springs to mind.

by Ted's student grant Sat May 12, 2007 20:08

Hmmm, it must be wonderful to be able to look down from such a lofty perch of wisdom and sneer at the "whining" of people whose views you don't share. SP/CWI loyalists seem desperately keen to insist that the SSP is dead and buried - they really want it to be gone, because then they can forget about the dishonesty and bad faith which they know well lurks beneath their own group's position. Anyway, let's see how far Solidarity gets and whether some folk may have to eat a little humble pie (of course, they'll probably do nothing of the sort and assure us that they were right all along - such is the nature of the beast). This article says much of what needs to be said on the subject IMHO:

http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1266

by John Meehan Wed Jul 18, 2007 23:16

at this link :

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1521&id=1110372...print

No comment needed

by John Meehan Sat Aug 04, 2007 00:36

sadly predictable :

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=tomm....html

by John Meehan Wed Aug 15, 2007 22:01

Following the Galloway trail :

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330347279-125604,00....html

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330570553-125604,00....html