03.12.1998

Abandon nationalism

Statement by the Revolutionary Democratic Group on the Scottish Socialist Party

1. The crisis developing within British, European and world capitalism is leading to the break-up of the United Kingdom. This process, which has already begun, is tending to split the working class movement, and polarise it between British unionism and Scottish and Welsh nationalism.

2. In the face of this growing danger, socialists, revolutionary communists and militant workers must campaign vigorously for the unity of the English, Scottish and Welsh working class. We must oppose unionism and nationalism, by fighting for a federal republic based on the right of nations to self-determination.

3. The RDG has viewed with grave concern the split between the Socialist Party and Scottish Militant Labour and the proposal to set up the Scottish Socialist Party. We oppose these developments and consider them to be symptomatic of the growth of nationalism.

4. We specifically oppose the call for an independent socialist Scotland and the establishment of a separate Scottish party as being against the interests of the working class. These policies have been adopted for short-term electoral gain.

5. The RDG is not against the formation of a ‘hybrid’, centrist (or communist-Labour) party. We are in favour of organising a revolutionary democratic communist tendency within such parties. But we are opposed to the formation of the ‘hybrid’ SSP because of its nationalist policies. Supporters of the RDG voted against setting up the Scottish Socialist Party at the special recall conference of the SSA on September 20 1998.

6. It is now clear that the overwhelming majority of the SSA have agreed to join the new party. In these circumstances, despite our opposition and the reluctance of our supporters to join, it is now necessary to do so, in order to continue the struggle against the nationalist policies of the new party.

7. RDG supporters will be joining the SSP with a clear and openly declared intention to campaign for the new party to abandon nationalism and fight for the unity of the English and Scottish working class around the demand for a federal republic.

8. RDG supporters will continue to campaign for the formation of an all-UK party and call on the SSP to adopt this policy. Consequently, we will urge the SSP to seek discussions with the Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Labour Party and the Network of Socialist Alliances with the aim of future merger(s) into one party.