​The Scottish Labour Party describes itself as “the party of devolution” but is that commitment shared by this Labour government?

​This week members of Unite will be receiving ballot papers for the elections of the Unite Executive Council which will hold office from 1st May until to 30th April 2029. The papers are currently being distributed and must be returned by 27th April. 

You can access the re-launched Citizen here: ​The Citizen — Campaign for Socialism

​Scottish Labour Party Conference on the last Friday of February was a strange affair. It happened, of course, on the day after the disastrous (well, disastrous for Labour)  Gorton and Denton by election, a string of polls saying that the Scottish Labour Party (SLP) was toast in the May Scottish Parliament elections and a futile attempt by Anas Sarwar to defenestrate his best pal Keir Starmer, a couple of weeks previously

​The Current issue of Radical Options for Scotland Europe (ROSE) dealing with the crisis of the left is now available at https://rose-scotland.org/ The following article is taken from that issue of ROSE and considers  divisions on the European Left.
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One of the many peculiarities of the current period is the persistence of some on the British left and significantly more in the centre of British politics to look to the EU as a solution to the profound crisis we are living through. The SNP, for example, is arguing that achieving independence is inseparable from membership of the EU because membership of the EU is necessary for economic stability and growth. This is a position echoed time and again by Britain’s liberal left for example Rafael Behr arguing in the Guardian in October that ‘… leaving the EU has been a disaster. But refusing to admit it has cost Labour precious time and credibility.’

The list selections close tomorrow at noon so this your last chance to select socialists to Holyrood. Check your inbox for an email from [email protected] which contains your ballot.

Scottish Labour Left is urging you to vote:  

Monica Lennon  if you live in the Glasgow Region.
Katy Clark if you live in the West Scotland Region.
Carol Mochan if you live in the South Scotland region.
Simon Watson if you live in the North East Scotland region.

Despite the limitations of the Scottish Labour Party, we cannot afford to let the SNP continue with its incompetence, avoidance of public scrutiny, relentless erosion of the public services, reluctance  to address inequality and the absolute absence of an industrial strategy which has led to the destruction of thousands of jobs in the manufacturing sector. 

And just as important, if not more so, we must push back Reform UK. If we are faced with an SNP loveless landslide in May and an opposition in the Scottish Parliament led by the reactionary Reform UK, we are set for a fierce right wing onslaught, not just in the Parliamentary Chamber but in the streets where right wing thugs will feel emboldened to make their presence felt. 

The best way to stop this  is to ensure that there are socialist Scottish Labour MSPs as part of a winning team who will work with the unions to change Scottish Labour and change Scotland. 
Vote Left and Vote Labour.

​It has been almost thirty years since the creation of the Scottish Parliament and despite the belief that devolution would lead to transformational change for communities across Scotland, the truth is that Scotland’s economy continues to work mainly for the benefit of a wealthy few and social justice is far from a reality. 

It's a great privilege to close this debate for Scottish Labour, so I want to start by paying tribute to everyone who has engaged in the Land Reform process.
Any success of this Bill to diversify land ownership in Scotland is the collective effort of everyone who responded to the consultations; everyone who provided expert advice and evidence and everyone who challenged the Scottish Government to make this Bill count. And I know that work will continue, because it must