Scottish Socialists depleted

Submitted by Anon on 27 October, 2007 - 8:59 Author: Stan Crooke

Around 150 delegates and members turned up to the Scottish Socialist Party’s 2007 annual conference, held in Dundee last Sunday (21 October).

Overturning a previous and well-established policy, the conference passed a motion in support of scrapping religious and denominational schools. Underlining its commitment to this policy, the conference also voted to delete a clause in the motion which allowed for “inclusive assemblies which could draw on religious and non-religious traditions.”

A motion opposing the abolition of weekly rubbish bin collections proved more controversial (even though large parts of Scotland have already introduced fortnightly collections). The basic counter-argument, albeit unsuccessful, was that the SSP should be campaigning for the measures and resources which would allow for refuse collection to be done on a fortnightly basis.

Proposed by the Republican Communist Network, a motion proposing that the SSP initiate a conference to bring together socialists from England Scotland, Wales and Ireland generated some discussion, although (on the surface at least) it was a discussion concerning availability of resources rather than political issues.

Pro-union (i.e. the Union of Scotland and England, or Wales and England) and pro-partition (i.e. the partition of Ireland) socialists will not be invited to the conference. Invitations will, however, be extended to “individuals in England who uphold the right of socialists to form their own national organisations, and the need for all-Ireland socialist organisations.”

Although there was never any real chance of it being defeated, given that it followed on from policies adopted in previous years, a motion backing a boycott of Israel and collaboration with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee did, however, see a relatively respectable number of abstentions and votes against.

The only motion defeated at the conference was one motivated by a desire for the SSP to return to its earlier staffing levels, once financial resources allow this, and an end to part-time staff working full-time for a part-time wage (as is the case at present), as well as having to find a second part-time job in order to have a decent income.

The formulation used to express the latter point, however, was: “We believe that full-time staff are preferable to part-time staff.” But since part-time employees are more likely to be female than are full-time employees, this would constitute an employment practice which would give preference to male applicants over female ones.

Most of the other motions adopted by the conference went through ‘on the nod’ – variously proposing support for various initiatives in trade union work, support for the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign, support for the No-One is Illegal campaign, and support for a new SSP-initiated housing campaign.

But the problem with any motion going through “on the nod” is that this may signify indifference rather than enthusiasm. The ease with which such motions sailed through conference is therefore not necessarily a reflection of the energy with which they will be implemented.

An attendance of 150 at a conference in Dundee on a Sunday is not a poor turnout, even if it was a lot less than turnouts at ‘“pre-split” conferences. But the attendance at the preceding day’s “Socialism 2007” event – also around 150 – was well down on attendance at similar events in earlier years.

Sunday’s turnout indicates that the SSP has maintained a solid, even if much reduced, core of membership. But Saturday’s turnout indicates that the SSP is certainly not the “pole of attraction” for the left in Scotland in general which it was in earlier years (even making allowance for various other factors which depressed Saturday’s turnout).

The state of SSP branch life is also clearly depressed, although not consistently so. Some branches still maintain a pattern of weekly or fortnightly meetings and a routine of street stalls, while other branches meet less regularly (if at all) and struggle to maintain a public profile.

Overall, last weekend’s rather uneventful conference gave little indication of how the SSP is likely to develop politically over the next twelve months.

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