Scotland after the European elections

Ukip won it’s first elected representative in Scotland at last week’s European election. Ironically, and somewhat farcically, their successful candidate gave his official address as living in London. Without a councillor, MP, or MSP the national surge in support for Farage and his party saw Ukip poll just over 10%, taking the last available seat. The SNP were the biggest party on 29%. Labour increased their share by 5% to 25% and the Tories were third on 18%. The LibDem’s were pushed into sixth place behind the Greens and lost their one MEP.

Turnout was up by 5% in Scotland, with many of those 65,000 voters, it seems, backing Ukip. The Tory vote held up and the fall in support for the LibDems went mainly to Labour.

While the support for the right wing, anti immigrant populism of Ukip was not as pronounced as in England and Wales, where they won 30% and 27.5% respectively, the over 140,000 votes in Scotland for Ukip is a warning. It partly reflects a rise in anti-immigrant views amongst a layer of the population. A mood that is being whipped up by Ukip and the saturation media coverage they are given, and by all the main UK establishment parties who are guiltily of carrying through savage austerity.

A Scottish poll the week before the European elections found that 70% of those asked said they backed stricter immigration controls. 60% believed access to benefits should only be allowed to those who have lived in the UK for at least five years. 40% of those asked thought immigrants should be denied access to schools, social housing and even the NHS (apart from in emergencies) for five years

Stricter immigration rules were supported by 68% of SNP and Labour voters. The onslaught and scapegoating by the major parties of those on benefits was also reflected in the poll, which found six out of ten believed the unemployed should be enrolled on compulsory work schemes.

However, the increased support for Ukip is also being driven by a growing hatred of the political establishment, and this is a key factor in the rise of Ukip in the recent elections.

There has been a conscious policy by the ruling class to promote Farage and Ukip as a safety valve, a nationalist and divisive attempt to cut across the potential for united mass struggle by the working class. And allied to this an attempt to undermine the potential for the emergence of a new mass workers party that would pose a direct challenge to the capitalist elite.

The promotion of Ukip, with Farage being an almost ever present on TV programmes like Question Time, has backfired and will pose a threat to the interests of the majority of British capitalism. It can also increase support for a Yes vote for Scottish independence, with the SNP leadership using the fact that Ukip came first in England to paint a picture of a Scotland has having “different priorities” to those of England.

Alex Salmond, however, is promoting a pro business Scottish nationalism as a counter weight to English/British nationalism of Ukip and a growing section of the Tory party.

But both variants agree on the need to continue with a sick and ailing capitalist system that would seek to inevitably make the working class pay for the economic crisis. Only an independent socialist Scotland, which took decisive measures to end austerity and to bring the major sectors of the economy into democratic public ownership would lay the basis for a permanent end to cuts and falling living standards.

Political alternative needed

While supporting a Yes vote in September, Socialist Party Scotland do not that believe that the interests of the working class in Scotland are separate and removed from working class people in England, or internationally for that matter. Falling living standards, savage attacks on welfare, the bedroom tax and the undermining of workers rights are affecting the overwhelming majority of the working class, no matter where they live.

The decisive factor in the European elections was the lack of an authoritative mass workers party that would offer a fighting alternative to austerity. Where radical left parties with a national profile did challenge, then, in many cases, they made gains in the elections. This was the case in Greece where Syriza, despite its limitations in seeking a compromise with the Greek and European capitalist institutions, topped the poll. And also in Spain, and the Netherlands where left parties and coalitions made gains.

In Ireland the successes of our sister party in winning the parliamentary by election in Dublin West and spearheading the challenge of the Anti-Austerity Alliance that won 14 council seats, is a glimpse of the potential. Sinn Fein’s sweeping gains in Ireland were also a reflection of a huge anti-austerity mood in society. Although it’s clear that Adams and co are preparing to enter a coalition government in the Republic that will carry out cuts, as they have in the Northern Ireland assembly.

In Scotland, as well as in England and Wales, the Socialist Party participated along with the RMT and others in the No2EU – Yes to Workers’ Rights coalition. This left, internationalist alternative to the bosses EU struggled to make an impact. With negligible media coverage and little in terms of resources the votes achieved were low.

The over 500 candidates who stood for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), supported by the Socialist Party and the RMT in the local elections in England, achieved a very creditable 65,000 plus votes. TUSC supporter Keith Morrell, who was expelled from the Labour party for voting against cuts, was reelected in Southampton.

What a difference it would have made if a union like Unite and others had taken a similar stand as the RMT. The lack of enthusiasm for Labour, who are moving further to the right, raises the prospect that they may fail to win a UK general election in 2015. Even if they are elected Milliband and Balls have made it clear that cuts will continue under Labour. This can lay the basis for a further increase in support for right wing populism, unless a mass workers alternative is built.

Even if a new party is not immedicatley formed by the trade unions, it’s an urgent task to build a united front of socialists, trade union organisations and individuals and anti cuts campaigners to prepare a challenge to the parties of big business, including Ukip.

Socialist Party Scotland members will be proposing to TUSC in Scotland and others that such a conference in Scotland takes place as a matter of urgency following the referendum. A powerful anti-cuts and pro socialist electoral challenge is vital in 2015 and 2016, whatever the outcome of the referendum.

The rise of Ukip is a warning to the working class and the trade union movement. Parties like Ukip, and the threat they represent to the unity of the working class can only be defeated if an alternative is built. That alternative needs to take the form of a mass trade union led struggle that fights against the race to the bottom, against zero hour contracts and for a living wage for all workers that can help to cut across divisions. A 24-hour general strike against austerity would be a decisive turning point. But this must be accompanied by the building of mass workers party that can point the finger at the real enemy, the capitalist system, the bankers and the billionaires, who are destroying the lives of millions.

The capitalists themselves are fearful of the consequences of their system. At a recent conference in London in front of billionaire investors the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, railed against the undermining of “responsible capitalism”. He appealed to those attending the conference on “inclusive capitalism ” to “have a sense of their responsibilities for the broader system.” In other words to be prepared to give up a portion of their wealth to reduce inequality or face the inherent threat of social unrest and the growth of anti-capitalist ideas.

Inclusive capitalism is a contradiction in terms. The profit system operates on the basis of exclusion of the majority from the fruits of their labour. The exclusion of billions from the right of a decent job and a living wage, a home and an end to poverty. It’s time for a political alternative that ascribes on its banner a united struggle against capitalism. That puts an end to division and racism and builds a socialist future. 

The rejection election

For an analysis of the elections in England and Wales read this article by Hannah Sell of the Socialist Party England and Wales.