A manifesto for socialist change – Vote Scottish TUSC

The general election on July 4 will see the Tories routed, as they deserve to be. But where is the alternative for working-class people?

Labour under Keir Starmer has stampeded to the right and dumped all of Jeremy Corby’s left policies. Indeed Corbyn can no longer stand as a Labour candidate and is standing as an independent which we welcome. Right wing Tory MPs are more welcome in Starmer’s Labour Party than people like Corbyn and the Labour left. 

The SNP’s crisis continues – with three leaders in just over a year. Their collapsing support is rooted in their implementation of Tory cuts in Scotland for the last 14 years. They are being exposed as a party not of the working class but of business interests and the capitalist establishment.

Never has there been more of a need to build a mass working-class and socialist alternative to the parties of cuts. For that reason the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition will be standing candidates in the election. As we have done since 2010 when we were founded – with the exception of the 2017 and 2019 general elections when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader.

We’ll be making the case for the trade unions to build a new workers’ party, for socialist policies to tackle the cost of living crisis like the nationalisation of the rip-off energy companies, for an immediate increase in the minimum wage to £15 an hour, for an end to the slaughter in Gaza and for the abolition of all anti-union laws. 

Scottish TUSC also fights for the right of the people of Scotland to decide their own future through a second independence referendum. We fight for an independent socialist Scotland as part of the struggle for socialism internationally. 

For one socialist candidate per constituency 

We are aware that other left and socialist parties are or may be planning to stand in the general election. TUSC is an umbrella coalition open to all who want to see the building of a real alternative for working-class communities, including socialist organisations. 

As we have always done, we will seek to avoid any clashes in local constituencies. We hope to meet and discuss with other groups looking to stand candidates to avoid more than one socialist candidate per constituency. This could also help to maximise the number of left and socialist candidates in other seats as well. 

Socialism never more important 

It’s a scandal that the richest billionaires have increased their wealth year-on-year while poverty has rocketed worldwide. 

Scotland is no exception to that global inequality scandal. Here, the top 1% of the population have more wealth than the poorest 50% of society. Poverty is on the increase while health inequalities are at record levels. The explosion in food banks in Scotland is accelerating and the drug death scandal goes from awful to disastrous. 

Never have socialist policies been more important. Policies to redistribute wealth, to invest in job creation, housing, health and public services, a living minimum wage, to bring the main sectors of the economy into public ownership, for socialist change to end the climate catastrophe and to end the horrific actions of the Israeli state forces against the people of Gaza. None of the main parties in this election are prepared to take the decisive measures against capitalism that are essential. 

Build a mass new workers’ party

Scottish TUSC is standing to offer those alternatives, but also to call for the building of a new mass working-class party in Scotland. The trade unions in Scotland, with over 500,000 members, should lead and call a conference to discuss building a new workers’ party that will oppose all cuts and all attempts to make us pay for the economic crisis. A Starmer government will only deliver for the billionaires and big business. Demands for a new party for the working class will grow significantly under a Starmer government. 

We need politicians who will stand and fight any and all new efforts to cut public spending – in other words austerity. It’s long past time that councillors and MSPs refused to implement Tory cuts. That they stop being the main delivery mechanism for the systematic destruction of the jobs, incomes and services that millions of us rely on. Neither the SNP nor Scottish Labour have proven themselves capable of being up to that task. That’s why we need a new party based on the trade unions to offer that fighting alternative. 

WHO ARE WE?

Scottish TUSC is a coalition formed in 2010 of trade unionists, community campaigners and socialists.

Scottish TUSC candidates will stand for election pledging to live on the average wage of a skilled worker. This is our core manifesto setting out our key policies. Individual Scottish TUSC candidates can add to these as part of their election campaigns. 

A.  PUBLIC OWNERSHIP, NOT PRIVATE PROFIT

● Bring privatised public services, PFI/PPP/NPD contracts, industries and utilities – including rail, bus services, mail, telecoms and energy – back into public ownership under democratic working class control, with compensation only on the basis of proven need.

● Tax the rich. For progressive tax on rich corporations and individuals and an end to tax avoidance.

● For a socialist, worker-led energy transition – nationalise the big energy companies under democratic workers’ control to allow for massive investment in renewable forms of energy with guaranteed employment and no loss of income for those moving from fossil fuel production .

● Bring banks and finance institutions into public ownership under democratic control, instead of giving huge handouts to the very capitalists who caused the crisis.

B.  NO CUTS – FOR QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES

● A massive expansion of public services including the NHS, social care and council services. Reverse all the cuts. Return all the money stolen from the Scottish parliament and councils as a result of austerity since 2010. Councils and Scottish parliament must set no cuts budgets and lead the fight for fully funded public services. 

● For a high-quality, free National Health Service under democratic public ownership and control, free at the point of need. For a qualitative expansion in mental health services to meet demand. Nationalise the pharmaceutical companies under democratic control.

● Nationalise the care sector now – End the profiteering – For national trade union agreement on pay and conditions for all care workers

● Re-nationalise all rail, bus and ferry services to build an integrated, low-pollution public transport system, providing low cost travel for all. Take Royal Mail back into public ownership to guarantee our postal services. 

● For a massive programme of council house building to tackle the housing emergency in Scotland. Rent controls to be decided on by democratic bodies to stop the scandal of exploitative landlords 

● Scottish government must scrap all student debt and introduce a living grant for all students. End tuition fees at Scottish universities. For a fully funded HE and FE sector to end the funding crisis. 

C.  FOR THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION

● Build mass working-class struggle for the right to a second independence referendum 

● For an independent socialist Scotland. Build a united movement with workers in England, Wales and Ireland to fight for socialist change. 

● No to the bosses’ EU – For a socialist Europe

D.  EMPLOYMENT AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS

● Repeal all the anti-trade union laws, defend the democratic right to strike. 

● For an immediate increase in the minimum wage to £15 an hour, without exemptions, and for it then to automatically rise in line with inflation or wages, whichever is higher.

● Scrap zero hour contracts.  Guaranteed hours and full employment rights for all, including migrant workers, from day one of employment; including trade union rates of pay and sickness pay, and sickness, parental and holiday rights.  Cut the working week to 32 hours with no loss of pay.

● Invest to create and protect jobs, including for young people.

● Solidarity with workers taking action on pay and to defend jobs, conditions, pensions, public services and trade unions.

E.  PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT – STOP GLOBAL WARMING

● Prioritise major research and investment into replacing fossil fuels and nuclear power with renewable energy to achieve deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

● Nationalisation of the energy companies, under democratic control, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need, in order to invest in publicy-owned and controlled renewable and affordable energy for all. Oppose fracking.

F.  ELIMINATING POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

● Reverse cuts to benefits. For a universal benefits system which is based on actual need and relates to the living wage, rising in line with it.

● Scrap benefit sanctions and the housing benefit cap. End child poverty now.

● Restore the pre-Thatcher real value of pensions. For an immediate state pension of around £350 a week for a single person linked to automatic rises wages and incomes. Reverse the increases imposed on the state retirement age.

G.  STOP THE ATTACKS ON DISABLED PEOPLE

● Promote inclusive policies to enable disabled people to participate in, and have equal access to, education, employment, housing, transport and welfare provision.

● Support measures to ensure disabled people receive a level of income according to needs. Equal pay for equal work.

● For a supportive benefits system, free of discrimination.

H.  NO TO RACISM, OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION

● Oppose racism, fascism and all forms of discrimination. Defend the right to asylum, repeal all racist immigration controls. For an immediate end to the transportation of migrants to Rwanda or holding centres elsewhere. For the right to work and to access all public services for all refugees and asylum seekers.

● Ensure women have genuinely equal rights and pay.

● Full equality for LGBT people. Oppose transphobia and all forms of oppression. Reject the divisive politics of identity. For a united struggle of all of the working class for the resources and services that we all need.

I.  SOLIDARITY NOT WAR

● End the slaughter in Gaza. For the permanent removal of all Israeli state forces from the occupied territories. Support for mass working-class struggle by the Palestinians for an independent state and a socialist solution to the conflict 

● Decommission nuclear weapons. No more spending on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. End arms trading and convert arms spending into socially useful products and services.

● An independent socialist foreign policy, based on international working-class solidarity. 

J. SOCIALISM

● Bring into democratic public ownership the major companies and banks that dominate the economy, so that production and services can be planned on a socialist basis to meet the needs of all and to protect the environment.

Support the Scottish TUSC candidates

Glasgow South 

Brian Smith was for 15 years until February this year the secretary of the 13,000-strong Glasgow City UNISON branch. Throughout that time Glasgow City UNISON has been, and continues to be, a living example of what militant trade unionism is all about. The branch has an exemplary record of leading a whole series of strikes, including the equal pay strike in 2018, in defence of members interests on pay regrading and working conditions as well as in defence of services and against all cuts. 

Brian has stood as a socialist candidate in Glasgow South/Cathcart in numerous Westminster and Holyrood elections, including in 2010, 2015 and 2016. He also headed up the Glasgow regional list for TUSC in the 2021 Scottish election. Brian also stood in the 2011 Holyrood election on a joint list with George Galloway as part of the Coalition Against Cuts. Brian lives in Castlemilk in the Glasgow South constituency.

Dundee Central

Jim McFarlane is the branch secretary of Dundee City UNISON and is one of the city’s most well know trade unionists. During that time Jim has been to the forefront of opposing all cuts imposed by the administration and has been a active socialist since the Timex strike of 1993. 

Jim was the socialist candidate in Dundee West for the Westminster elections in 2010 and 2015 and the Scottish TUSC candidate for Holyrood in 2011, 2016 and 2021. Jim lives in the Ardler area of the city which is part of the Dundee Central constituency.

Glasgow North East

Chris Sermanni is the current branch secretary for Glasgow City UNISON and before that was the social work shop stewards convener. Along side Brian Smith and other Glasgow City UNISON activists, Chris has helped to build the branch into a model of fighting trade unionism. 

Chris was the Scottish TUSC candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election in 2023. 

Aberdeen North

Lucas Grant is the Scottish TUSC candidate for Aberdeen North. Lucas, who is 22-years-old, was brought up in the Northfield area of the city and was the Scottish TUSC candidate for Aberdeen Donside in the Scottish parliament election in 2021 and also stood for the Northfield ward in the council elections in 2022. 

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