The Socialist Case Against Leaving the European Union

Who really wins if the UK leaves the EU?

As Britain's membership of the European Union (EU) hangs in the balance with a referendum looming, it is time for the left to take a serious look at the issue that none of us really want to talk about. A left-wing exit (lexit) is supported by some prominent socialists and seems to makes sense; of course we would want to leave an undemocratic, capitalist institution that puts big business interests before workers in favour of a socialist paradise where we are free to nationalise what we want and go after the tax dodgers; but is 'lexit' what's being offered here?

Greece’s Fire Sale Proves That Neoliberalism Survived It’s Own Collapse.

The 2008 financial crash was seen by many as another example of capitalism’s self-destructive nature. Deregulation and the limitless pursuit of growth caused our interconnected economy to crumble. Again. There are no excuses- this boom and bust has happened before.

How the Scottish Parliament Voting System Works

There is a lot of confusion about how the voting system works and MSPs are allocated in the Scottish Parliament, particularly because of the regional list. The purpose of this article is not to tell you who to vote for, but just to explain how the Additional Member System works in allocating seats to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. Another issue this will clear up that is thrown about that says to maximize the number of Independence supporting MSPs, you have to vote SNP twice. When you understand how the Additional Member System works and allocates MSPs you will see that this is not the case at all.

RE: Red Tories, Austerity Lite, New labour

SSP activist and student, Hugh Cullen, responds to an article supporting Corbyn for Labour leader. 

Having idols is dangerous, especially when they are still alive. Declaring yourself for an individual can lead to dissolution, or the heartbreak that comes with the realisation that they are not what you thought they were. The best examples of this come in the Labour Party. While I have enormous respect for what remains of the 'Labour left', I reserve the right to criticise Dennis Skinner, Owen Jones and Jeremy Corbyn and more for their continued affiliation with a party that has continuously abandoned the working class and socialism. 

While I share many of the beliefs of Corbyn and admire him as a principled and hard working MP, his attempts to revive the labour party are akin to drawing blood from stone.

Red Tories, Austerity Lite, New labour

Stirling Uni student and SSP activist Robbie Young argues his support for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest. 

Why I've decided to rejoin the Labour Party -

As a SSP member and activist, you may think rejoining the Tory party in red paint is a strange thing to do but I have good reasons.

As many a young socialist does, when I awoke my political consciousness I immediately threw myself at the Labour Party. Keir Hardie. Tony Benn. Nye Bevan. Michael Foot. George Galloway. Dennis Skinner. Those were the people I thought the Labour Party was all about. I attended party meetings. I delivered leaflets. I tried to get my local candidate elected in 2010.

Scottish Socialist Party: 2016 and Beyond

SSP activist and student Dave Mundt gives his opinion on the year ahead for the Scottish Socialist Party and the proposed Scottish Left Project. 

The backdrop of the campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum provided the Scottish Socialist Party with a platform they haven’t enjoyed since their electoral success in the 2003 Scottish General Election. Healed are the wounds inflicted by the split, as a younger generation inject enthusiasm and hope into a resurgent party. Post-referendum, the SSP now boasts thirty branches across the country, with membership visible and active within their local communities. Our party carries a message of hope for the working class who has been long abandoned by a now depleted Scottish Labour Party. We are now maneuvering ourselves into a position from where can fight, and we have a lot to fight for.

Impending ‘New New Labour’ Forces The Scottish Labour Party To Go It Alone or Risk Complete Extinction

Decade long infighting has come to the boil, and Murphy’s refusal to resign in Scotland serves to further crucify their electability. Blairite murmurs south of the border can be used as a marker for things to come, further solidifying the need for a united left alternative in Scotland, past the SNP.

Over the weekend Peter Mandelson expressed an opinion shared by many prominent figures south of the border in the wake of Labours semi-
catastrophic performance on Thursday. The party had moved ‘too far to the left' under Ed Milliband. This analysis appears to be at complete odds with that proposed by many in Scotland, academic or otherwise right throughout the last decade.