Scottish Socialist Party (1987)

This article is about a defunct party which existed between 1987 and 1990. For similarly named organisations, see Scottish Socialist Party (disambiguation).

The Scottish Socialist Party was a small political party operating in Scotland in the 20th century. It was primarily a left-wing breakaway from the Scottish National Party, although it succeeded in recruiting a number of Labour Party members, including the former Labour Group leader in the Edinburgh council, Alex Wood. A group of dissident Labour Party and SNP members formed the Scottish Socialist Movement in 1987, shortly after the general election held that year, and in 1988 the SSM became the Scottish Socialist Party.[1]

The party favoured the establishment of a Scottish socialist republic, independent of the United Kingdom. The party contested only one parliamentary seat, Glasgow Central at the 1989 by-election, where its candidate Bill Kidd received 137 votes (0.5%). The party folded the following year and many of its members subsequently returned to the SNP, including Bill Kidd.

During its existence, the party published a regular magazine called Socialist Scotland and had links with Cymru Goch, a Welsh socialist party.

References

  1. ↑ MACRAE, Callum, The Observer, 20 November 1988
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