For the organising of a conference of all interested trade unions, socialist groups and individuals who support the building of an election challenge to the parties of cuts and austerity

The following letter was sent to left organisations in Scotland, trades councils, left trade union NEC members and prominent left individuals on 7th April from the Scottish TUSC steering committee
Invitation to take part in an organising committee to prepare a working class, socialist electoral stand in 2026

• For the organising of a conference of all interested trade unions, socialist groups and individuals who support the building of an election challenge to the parties of cuts and austerity

Dear Comrades 

Working class anger at the betrayals of the bosses’ Starmer Labour government and the failures of the SNP increases by the week. 

There is a mass sentiment that Labour isn’t Labour anymore. How can that not be the case? The cruelty of the cuts to welfare while increasing defence spending by billions says it all. Pensioners and the disabled are attacked while bankers and big business have a profits bonanza. 

Starmer fawns over Trump and supports Israel’s blockade and war on Gaza.  The Labour leadership and its right-wing council machine is organising a major scabbing operation against workers in Birmingham. Labour are aping the anti-asylum seeker rhetoric of Reform in the Runcorn by election. All this is cheered on by the leadership of Scottish Labour.

Unsurprisingly, former MSPs and councillors are resigning from the party. Despite support for Scottish independence increasing  the SNP are not seen by working class people as a fighting alternative. How could they be with massive cuts and council tax rises, growing NHS waiting lists and the possibility of major industrial action by public sector workers taking place against SNP and Labour politicians over pay? The Scottish government’s underfunding of universities is a major factor in the threatened mass job losses across Scotland’s campuses.  

We believe socialists have a responsibility to organise to fill the vacuum.

Mass alienation at the main parties is reflected mainly in the low turnout in elections but also partly by the rapid rise in the vote of right populist  Reform UK, who as well as using anti-migrant racism pose falsely as anti-establishment. 

In our view, it is imperative that the widest possible socialist, working-class electoral challenge to the main parties, and Reform UK,  is urgently organised for the Scottish Parliament elections in 2026. 

For the last few months we have called on the trade unions or a section of them to organise a conference to begin this process. Comrades will note the passing of a motion supporting this idea in Glasgow City Unison and Dundee City Unison for example. 

Scottish TUSC has also participated constructively in the discussion around establishing Collective Scotland and around a “Left Alternative” at a Glasgow level involving and a number of trade unionists, left activists, socialist groups and community campaigners. 

We are writing, on a Scottish wide basis,  to all left organisations who have recently stood electorally in Scotland, including the SSP, CPB and SLP, plus the Collective, the  SWP and trade union and community activists who have recently expressed an interest in an electoral challenge. 

This letter is also being sent to prominent individuals on the left, left trade union NEC members, trade union branches and trades councils. 

We are suggesting the organising of a conference of all interested trade unions, socialist groups and individuals who support the building of a unified socialist and trade union election challenge to the parties of cuts and austerity takes place in June. To assist in the organisation of the conference we suggest the setting up of a conference organising committee which we would invite you to take part in. 

Although Scottish TUSC, having stood consistently in elections with our own perspective on the way forward, is initiating this process, we are clear that this conference would be broader than our forces, open to all who want to debate and discuss a socialist electoral challenge. 

The conference organising committee would reflect this. We are proposing that each left organisation and trade union organisation would each have two delegates to the organising committee. Prominent trade unionists and lefts with a national profile would also be invited to shape the conference. We would aim to organise a conference through consensus, with the ability of all organisations to put their view forward.  

In our view there should be the widest united, socialist challenge both in the constituencies and regional lists in 2026. Of course organisations can raise their own perspective at the conference. 

Please respond and let us know if you/your organisation would be interested taking part in the conference organising committee. We hope that the first meeting can take place in April. Please also feel free to contact us with any questions or thoughts. 

Yours comradely 

The Scottish TUSC Steering Committee