Scotland's best electorally supported socialist party has agreed to renew efforts to foster left unity across Scotland and specifically to encourage a single left candidate in the forthcoming Glasgow North by-election. Solidarity will contact the leading left trade unions in Scotland again to appeal to them to gather the left groups and forces together with a view to knocking heads together in time for the likely November by-election poll.
 
Solidarity also agreed that if the left unity process does not develop in time for the by-election then our national co-convenor and former MSP, Tommy Sheridan, should be nominated as the Solidarity candidate. A final decision on this process is to be taken in early September.

Tommy Sheridan said today;

"My preference would be to campaign in support of a trade union backed left unity candidate instead of several socialist parties competing against one and other. . If the timescale available does not allow that process to ferment in time then I will fight hard to win the seat. With 11 years as a city councillor and 8 years as an MSP representing Glasgow under my belt I would probably be the most politically experienced and qualified candidate on the ballot paper".
 

In a brutal and deplorable act bosses at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire have sacked 900 workers who were on strike to defend the jobs of 51 sacked sub contractors.

The strike has now escalated dramatically!

Solidarity messages of support must be urgently sent to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or texts sent to 07706 7 10041. 

To read more about the background to the dispute click here

The Solidarity National Steering Committee met on Saturday 13th June to discuss the implications of The European Election results and to discuss progress that has taken place on possible closer cooperation between left parties at the forthcoming Glasgow North East By-Election.

The Solidarity National Secretary was instructed by the NSC to issue the following letter to be distributed to members of The SSP who are meeting at a Regional Aggregate in Glasgow on June 16th.

The Glasgow North East By-Election – An Open letter to SSP Members 

Comrades,

The crisis in global capitalism and the recent European election results have given us all on the left much to ponder. The collapse of the vote for The Labour Party, the emergence of the BNP as an electable force and the huge levels of abstention, (especially in working class communities) mean that we all need to re-examine our strategy for the coming period. The resignation of The Speaker of The House of Commons, Michael Martin will necessitate a by-election in his constituency of Glasgow North East. Early indications are that the election would be held in early September.

It has come to our attention that the SSP plan to discuss standing and possibly select a candidate for the forthcoming Glasgow North East by-election at a Glasgow members meeting to be held in the city on Tuesday night. We in Solidarity would like to respectfully ask that SSP members delay a final decision on the issue, at least in the short term, until some form of left unity discussion can take place. It is our understanding that a group of prominent Scottish trade unionists linked to none of the parties of the left in Scotland are in the formative stages of brokering left unity talks specifically on the issue of the Glasgow North East constituency. Our understanding is that during the next week formal approaches will be made to trade unionists, left progressives, environmentalists, community activists, the SSP, SLP and Solidarity to see if a unity process is achievable.

If the call for such unity was to come from either ourselves in Solidarity or one of the various parties of the left in Scotland then you could be justified in treating it with suspicion and reject it. As however, the call is expected to come from respected trade unionists we hope the SSP will consider it seriously, just as Solidarity intend to do.