Press releases

News from the Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism (CfS)

7th February 2014

News from the Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism (CfS)

The CfS is angered by the decision of Labour’s NEC to endorse the Collins’ proposals.

“Left Labour MPs, Katy Clark and John McDonnell, and the Convenor of the Campaign for Socialism (CfS) and depute presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, Elaine Smith MSP, will be among the speakers at a public meeting in Glasgow this Saturday (February 8th).

The meeting will be the first opportunity the Scottish Labour Left has to show its anger at the continued attempts to dilute the relationship between the Trade Unions and the Labour Party. It is likely that Ed Miliband’s damaging proposals, outlined in the Collins Review, will come under fierce scrutiny at the meeting.

Labour MSP Elaine Smith Convenor CfS said, “CfS unreservedly supports the institutional link between the Labour Party and the Trade Union Movement and opposes any attempts to dilute trade unions’ collective influence within the Party; including the resurrection of the 1920s Tory policy of ‘opting-in. The Scottish Labour Party will need to decide what this means for SLP Trade Unions links in Scotland”

Labour MP John McDonnell said “Now that the Labour leadership has adopted a strategy of incrementally severing the party’s links with the trade union movement and, in effect, the organised working class, socialists will also have to decide what role they will play both within the party and mobilising beyond it. It may well be that they find mobilising and direct action campaigning in the real world beyond narrow party structures are more effective methods of changing the world.”

The meeting takes place at 11.00 in John Smith House, Unite offices 145 West Regents St G2 4RZ. Press are welcome for the public meeting.

For further information on Saturday’s Public Meeting see http://www.campaignforsocialism.org.uk/featurearticles/cfsagm2014.php

The Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism was founded in 1994 to stop the attack on clause four of the Labour Party constitution.  Since then it has campaigned for left polices and candidates in the Labour Party.  It is an integral part of the Labour Representation Committee.