Latest Editorial from the International Socialist

Tommy Sheridan’s stunning victory over the News of the World was welcomed by socialists and the left internationally as a victory over one of the most reactionary, anti-working class news organisations in the world. The International Socialist welcomed the result.

His victory was all the more remarkable given the fact that 11 members of the Scottish Socialist Party’s Executive Committee, including three MSP’s gave evidence against him.

It was a huge defeat for the NOtW and their gutter methods of journalism.

Iain McWhirter writing in the Sunday Herald summed up the significance of the result. “It was a rebuke to an industry that preys on human misery and disclosure; that uses chequebook journalism, spin, sensation, distortion. This has been a long time coming.”

“David can defeat Goliath”, was how the Herald newspaper began its editorial comment on the outcome of the case. “Working Class Hero” was the Mirror’s front page.

While Tommy Sheridan’s victory was enthusiastically welcomed by working class people across Scotland this was not the case among the leadership of the Scottish Socialist Party.

SSP splits

It was astonishing that following an earth-shattering victory over News International, and all that they stand for, the SSP leadership could within minutes of the verdict denounce Tommy Sheridan as a liar and demand an apology from him.

MSP Carolyn Leckie said “I’m still a socialist, I don’t believe Tommy Sheridan to be one.” Rosie Kane MSP in her column in the Sunday Mail said: “Whatever happens I can never work with Tommy again and I am not alone.”

This was followed by a public campaign in the press, with The Sun and the News of the World as willing mouthpieces for the allegations against Tommy Sheridan by the SSP leadership.

The SSP Executive Committee supported the sending out of a lengthy “SSP members bulletin” written by Alan McCombes entitled “the fight for the truth.”

This was followed by a diatribe against Tommy Sheridan in the SSP’s newspaper, which alongside the “Members” bulletin, did not carry a single word from either Tommy Sheridan or those in the SSP - including a majority at the May National Council of the party - that voted to support him in the defamation case.

The EC then cancelled the August National Council at which 11 SSP branches had passed motions calling for the EC to be suspended.

The United Left faction who control the EC, the party newspaper and the website have conducted the most incredible campaign against Tommy Sheridan. A campaign that has more in common with the methods of Stalinism than of democratic socialism.

This unbelievably destructive policy has dragged the name of the SSP through the mud. Given the likelihood of this poisonous campaign continuing at least until the planned SSP conference in October, with even then no possibility of a reconciliation, a split became inevitable. It is the actions and political mistakes of the SSP leadership that are responsible for a split in the socialist movement in Scotland.

New party

The CWI in Scotland have supported the building of a new party of socialism in Scotland rather than continuing a battle inside the SSP. Primarily this was because we believed that at all costs the SSP leadership were determined to pursue a “rule or ruin” policy. This seemingly unending campaign against Tommy Sheridan would have been portrayed in the media as the socialist movement tearing itself apart.

There was no possibility, through the vehicle of the SSP, of utilising Tommy Sheridan’s victory to help rebuild the socialist movement in Scotland.

Even if the SSP leadership were removed in October the SSP would have been widely seen as a completely tarnished party. A party that before the court case was standing at between 1-2% in the polls.

Despite our political differences with Tommy Sheridan we opposed the actions of the EC in November 2004 that called on Tommy Sheridan to resign to “protect the party.”

This has nothing to do with a “cult of personality” but a recognition of Tommy Sheridan’s standing and support among wide sections of the working class in Scotland not least because of his leading role in the mass anti-poll tax struggle when he was still a member of the Militant/CWI.

It is an indication of how far the SSP leadership have become detached from the outlook of the working class that they did not see the impact their actions against Tommy Sheridan would have on the SSP. Already the policies of the majority of the SSP EC had weakened the party, both organisationally and electorally, and their current campaign opened the door to its disintegration.

Their move away from a consistent socialist approach and a base among the working class was underlined by the fact that the it was the SSP leadership, alongside the NoW, who were outraged at Tommy Sheridan’s court victory while working class communities enthusiastically welcomed the result.

The overwhelming majority of trade unionists in the SSP, including the RMT in Scotland who are affiliated to the party, supported Tommy Sheridan against the NoW.  Many of these trade unionists are now joining the new party.

Despite the political differences we have with him we support Tommy Sheridan playing a central role in building a new force for socialism in Scotland. Alongside the hundreds of ordinary SSP members and the thousands of trade unionists, young people and anti-war activists who want to build a fighting principled socialist movement. The chaos and carnage in the Lebanon and the burning need to build a movement to end poverty and inequality here in Scotland demands a socialist response. The CWI is committed to helping build that alternative based on the working class of Scotland.