[Marxism] New Scottish Socialist Formation (finally)

[Jscotlive@xxxxxxx]

This is a reply to the official SSP Executive Council Statement released in  
response to the news of Tommy Sheridan's decision to split from the  SSP, 
along with the grouping known as the SSP Majority.
 
This is the last thing I will post on this topic.
 
 
 
Ken Ferguson (of the EC) writes:

"The SSP executive notes that Tommy  Sheridan and others plan to
launch a breakaway party thus rupturing asunder the most  successful socalist 
unity project in Europe.


Reply:

The most successful  socialist unity project in Europe was ruptured asunder 
by the clique that  currently controls the apparatus of the SSP. This clique, 
just to remind Ken  Ferguson & Co., had sought to and succeeded in disengaging 
the party from  the class struggle in favour of identity politics over the 
past 18 months. This  clique recently changed the locks and security codes on 
the 
party HQ in Glasgow,  so that it could be accessed only by them and a 'chosen 
'few''. It recently  produced a factional document under the misnomer of an 
All Members Bulletin,  financed by the dues of the entire membership, the 
majority of whom, it is worth  recalling, fully support Tommy Sheridan. 


Ken Ferguson  writes:

"Tommy Sheridan and his supporters are guilty of an act of  political
irresponsibility which can only delight the enemies of socialism  in
Scotland."

"There is absolutely no justification for this damaging  split which 
is a betrayal of the hopes of tens of thousands of people who  have 
looked to the SSP as a beacon of hope for the  future."


Reply:

Tommy Sheridan and his supporters are in the  process of raising the banner 
of socialism in Scotland once again after 18  months when that banner, in the 
eyes of the majority of the Scottish working  class, was lowered in shame. The 
use of the world 'betrayal' by Ken is beyond  comprehension when the faction 
to which he belongs contains so-called socialists  who shamelessly stood up in 
court and gave evidence against a fellow socialist,  Tommy Sheridan, on behalf 
of the News Of The World - the most right-wing,  anti-working class, 
reactionary newspaper in Europe.

Tommy's outstanding  victory, against all the odds, and some former comrades, 
has been received as a  victory for the working class and socialists all over 
the world, as it should  be.


Ken Ferguson writes:

This breakaway is not based on any  political principle. It is a 
vehicle for the out of control ego of an  individual and is based on 
the fiction that Tommy Sheridan has been the  victim of a 
conspiratorial frame up by his own  party."


Reply:

This breakaway (once again, it was they who  split the party with their 
repeated attempts to politically destroy Tommy  Sheridan, whose only crime was 
that 
he was popular with a broad swathe of the  Scottish working class and 
therefore a threat to their notion of the SSP as a  private members club) is 
based on 
the meaning of the word 'solidarity', a word  sadly lacking from any of the 
documents or statements produced by the ULN  faction. The SSP has lost the 
confidence of trade unionists, the working class  and members of the oppressed 
communities throughout Scotland. The name of the  SSP has been tarnished and 
tainted by the actions of a rump within the party to  the point where it is 
irrecoverable.

As socialists our first and primary  loyalty should not and cannot be to any 
party or organisation. Our first and  primary loyalty must be to the working 
class. Their deification of the SSP is  not only ridiculous, it is decidedly 
un-Marxist, and sums up the lack of  political depth and substance contained in 
their theory and practice,

In  terms of a conspiracy, I find myself agreeing with Ken Ferguson. Their  
machinations and underhand tactics have been exposed for quite some time now 
and  could not rightly be described as a conspiracy. In the aftermath of 
Tommy's 
 victory they have moved way beyond the pale by trying to initiate a perjury  
investigation. Members of their faction have not only gone to the police, 
they  have arranged for members of the press to be outside the police station 
to  
photograph themselves in the act!


Ken Ferguson  writes:

"Despite his abominable behaviour before during and after the  recent 
libel case in the Court of Session there was never any threat of  
disciplinary action against Tommy Sheridan. Indeed the door was left  
wide open for him to pursue his ambition of returning as party 
convenor  if he could muster enough support."


Reply:

Oh aye, abominable  behaviour  - like taking on the Murdoch Press and 
winning. Tut,  tut...whatever will he get up to next? He might even plumb the 
depths 
and help  build a socialist movement that actually challenges the  
establishment.

Terrible man. Lock him up!

In terms of returning as  Convenor of a party that is irrevocably split, much 
better to put all of that  energy into building something new, fresh and 
positive. The Scottish working  class have had enough infighting amongst 
socialists; to the point where not only  the name of the SSP has been tainted 
beyond 
repair but, indeed, the very idea of  socialism in Scotland is in danger of 
being tarnished.

The verbal and  even physical attacks meted out by members of the ULN faction 
have so far been  met with restraint on behalf of the SSP Majority. After 
meetings were held to  discuss the way ahead, it became clear that this 
restraint 
was no longer an  option for many and therefore inevitable that at the next 
NC meeting and  Conference in October there would be violence.

This could only play into  the hands of the establishment who see Tommy and 
socialism as a threat to be  nullified any way possible. They failed to do so 
through the News Of The World,  but that does not mean they will stop trying.


Ken Ferguson  writes:

"Tommy is now walking out of the party because he cannot win a  
majority his actions are those of an egotistical politician who is  
contemptuous of democracy to paraphrase Bertolt Brecht the party  
membership has forfeited the confidence of the great leader so the 
great  leader will now elect a new membership."

"Tommy Sheridan's breakaway will  fade into oblivion because it is 
based on a  fraud."


Reply:

Tommy is walking out of the SSP backed by the  majority. And as far as being 
contemptuous of democracy, again Ken Ferguson is  lying. At the last NC 
meeting before the start of the court case a motion was  put forward and passed 
to 
support Tommy Sheridan in his fight against the  Murdoch Press. This motion, 
this clear and unequivocal demonstration of  democracy by the SSP membership, 
was thereafter ignored and trampled upon by a  bankrupt leadership and their 
acolytes.

Tommy Sheridan and the SSP  Majority are not leaving the SSP. The SSP left  
us.



________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism