Socialist Party Scotland – What We Stand For

Socialist Party Scotland is a campaigning socialist, Marxist and internationalist organisation that fights for the interests of the working class and young people. We have branches of the party across Scotland.
We stand for socialist change both hear and internationally – a democratic society run for the needs of all and not the profits of a few.

We were active participants in the referendum campaign building the Hope Over Fear – Socialist Campaign for Independence in a united front with Solidarity’s Tommy Sheridan. We also helped played a leading role in forging the successful campaign against the Bedroom Tax in Scotland. We are consistently involved in day to day campaigning work defending the rights of working class people in the workplaces, trade unions, communities, schools, colleges and universities. 

Members of Socialist Party Scotland play a leading role in the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition which is building an electoral alternative to the parties of cuts and big business. We stand for the creation of a new mass workers’ party and the breaking of the link between the trade unions and the pro-austerity Labour Party.

We are actively building the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign and fighting against the scandal of zero-hour contracts and for a living wage of £10 an hour.  

As capitalism dominates the globe, the struggle for genuine socialism must be international. The Socialist Party Scotland are part of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI), a democratic, socialist international that organises in over forty countries across the world.

What We Stand For

work and income

Build a mass campaign of trade unions and young people for a £10 an hour minimum wage. For an annual increase in the minimum wage, linked to average earnings.

Scrap zero hour contracts. Proper employment rights for all workers and trade union rights from day one of employment

Reject Welfare to Work; for the right to decent benefits, training or a job without compulsion.

A maximum 35-hour week without loss of pay.

All workers, including part-timers, temps, casual and migrant workers to have trade union rates of pay, employment protection, sickness and holiday rights from the first day of employment.

Scrap the anti-union laws. Build fighting trade unions, democratically controlled by their members. Full-time officials should be regularly elected and receive no more than a worker’s wage.

An immediate 50% increase in the state retirement pension, as a step towards a living pension. Reinstate the link with average earnings now.

environment

Major research and investment into replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and into ending the problems of early obsolescence and un-recycled waste.

Public ownership of the energy generating industry. No to nuclear power. No to Trident.

A democratically planned, low fare, publicly owner transport system, as part of an overall plan against environmental pollution.

public services

No to privatisation and the Private Finance programmes. Renationalise all privatised utilities and services.

A democratically planned, low fare, publicly owner transport system, as part of an overall plan against environmental pollution.

A socialist NHS to provide for everyone’s health – free at the point of use and under democratic control. Kick out the private contractors.

Keep council housing public. For a massive programme of publicly owned housing to provide good quality homes at low rents.

Fully fund all services and run them under accountable, democratic committees that include representatives of workers and service users.

rights

Oppose discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, gender identity, sexuality, age and all other forms of prejudice.

Repeal all laws that trample of civil liberties. For the right to protest. End police harassment.

Defend abortion rights. For a women’s right to choose when and whether to have children.

For the right of asylum. No to racist immigration laws.

a mass working class party

Build the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) as a step towards a mass workers party that draws together workers, young people and activists from workplace, community environmental and anti war campaigns to build a political alternative to the big business parties.

Trade unions should disaffiliate from the Labour Party now and help build a new workers’ party.

socialism and internationalism

Tax the super rich. For a socialist government that takes into public ownership the top 150 companies and banks that dominate the British economy, and run them under democratic working class control and management. Compensation to be paid only on the basis of proven need.

For an independent socialist Scotland and a free and voluntary socialist federation of Scotland with England Wales and Ireland.

A democratic socialist plan of production based on the interests of the overwhelming majority of people, and in a way that safeguards the environment.

No to imperialist wars and occupations. Withdraw the troops now from Iraq and Afghanistan

No to the bosses’ neo-liberal European Union. For a socialist Europe and a socialist world.