Packed Rally for Solidarity – Scotland’s Socialist Movement in run up to election

Tom Penman, International Socialists (CWI Scotland)

Over 600 people crowded into Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall for a Solidarity election rally on Wednesday night with Tommy Sheridan and George Galloway leaving those attending enthusiastic for the final week of campaigning to elect socialist candidates to the Scottish parliament and local councils on the 3^rd May.

Rallies and meetings have been occurring across Scotland as part of the Solidarity – SSM election campaign. Earlier in the week open air meetings at two Glasgow universities had seen Tommy Sheridan speak to literally hundreds of students despite heavy rain and the night after the Glasgow meeting 70 people came to a public meeting in Dundee. Solidarity is the only party in Scotland which has the support and the confidence amongst working class and young people to be able to fill these meetings. Even the SSP who used to hold election rallies as an important part of their election campaign have yet to hold a single one this election!

The election rally started with a performance by Scottish rapper Eastborn but quickly moved onto the political speeches. The first of these was a striking worker from Sunvic Controls where management are trying to massively cut wages and worsen conditions at the plant before selling it off to be turned into private flats. She thanked Solidarity for their support of the all women workforce and compared it to a local Labour councillor who said he showed his support by tooting the car horn as he passed the picket line but didn’t feel the need to visit or talk to the workers. Next up was Mohammed Asif, an Afghan refugee who thanked Solidarity for the support members had shown towards asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow. He also condemned the NATO occupation of Afghanistan and called for the withdrawal of troops. PCS NEC member Cheryl Gedling spoke on the fight against the government's plans of cuts and privatisation in the public sector and the upcoming 1st May strike.

Tommy Sheridan spoke with his usual passion, raging against the poverty and inequality that exists in Scotland today. He outlined Solidarity’s demands for free school meals, free education, the scrapping of the council tax and the scrapping of Trident. His speech electrified the room, receiving a standing ovation and setting the pattern the final speaker, George Galloway was to follow. He gave his support for Sheridan and Solidarity in a funny speech in which he said that if Tony Blair is the Dr Evil of British Politics then First Minister Jack McConnell is definitely his 'Mini-me'. Those waiting for improvements when Brown took over as Prime Minister were wasting their time as Brown and Blair were “different cheeks of the same arse”.

The success of the rally left Solidarity members feeling enthusiastic about the upcoming elections. This was boosted when the latest poll showed an increase in support to 3% for Solidarity and 2% for SSP. The size of the rally also shows the potential to rebuild the socialist movement in Scotland and hopefully George Galloway will learn the lessons for RESPECT that standing on a clearly socialist platform and appealing to voters, including those from the Muslim community, on a class basis does not scare away working class people from getting involved in politics and instead attracts them.

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