Now, more than ever socialists need to question their loyalties towards the Labour party under the stewardship of a knight of the realm.
The treatment of Ken Loach & other ‘Lefties’ within the UK Labour party should have been predicted in the treatment doled out to Jeremy Corbyn. Whilst I had high hopes for Corbyn despite his thoughts on Scottish Independence, I had hoped that he would encourage left sided policies which would benefit those who are struggling under the extremely right-wing Tory party and the despotic criminals & cronies who support them.
Labour are complicit in this by their woeful inaction to challenge Johnston & his cohort of fascists. Anyone in Scotland who thinks that Starmer would stand up & represent our interests is simply delusional. It has been well documented & often quoted that ‘I didn’t leave the Labour party, Labour left me’. I met my comrade Chris Stephens MP in 2012 & was overjoyed when he told me that the SNP had a trade union group & would I join? I quickly agreed only to find that I was asked to serve on their executive. With the exception of one ‘year off’ I am still active as the membership secretary.
Back in 2014 whilst handing out our political opt-out form we were informing delegates that our membership was nearing 14,000 which was nearly eclipsing the whole Labour support in Scotland. Now we currently sit on a healthy 15,209. The Daily Record reported in February that there had been a downfall in Slab membership of nearly 22% from 25,836 to nearing 16,500 There are no current figures under Anas Sarwar’s leadership, though it could be said that it may have gained a few hundred or so new members. I doubt that it would be in the thousands!
My point is that now more than ever socialists need to question their loyalties towards the Labour party under the stewardship of a knight of the realm. Is the current trajectory of UK Labour reflective of your socialist values? Now I am not saying that the SNP is a socialist party, far from it. But is socialism the truck towards independence or will independence deliver us socialism in some shape or form?
I have often thought that with independence we could see a reset of political parties through representation. To be clear this is NOT a call to #WheestForIndy but surely the prize is bigger than the goal. I reckon that we should be showing solidarity & unity for our country, not for individual parties. Yes by all means continue in the party of your choice, but solidarity for our country should be at the forefront of our minds. This is even more relevant now that the restrictions have been lifted to allow us to march & demonstrate in a safe manner.
It has often been said that no country won its freedom using the tools of division & grievance. This is what I will be advocating for when I speak at the AUOB gathering on the 28th of this month at Faslane, I am not speaking on behalf of any one group at this event. Not the SNP Socialists, nor the Trade union group or the Friends of Palestine. Just me, a grassroots activist. So please, By all means pop on by comrades & show unity & solidarity for your country.
Chris McCusker is a socialist activist within the SNP and a political commentator but first & foremost an activist for independence.
