Statement from Scottish Militant Labour Executive Committee:

Scotland’s Distinct Political Climate

During the past few months, an intense debate has opened up within the British and Irish organisations on the question of the name.

Many of the issues of perspectives, tactics, strategy and orientation that have been raised in this debate are directly relevant to the organisation in Scotland. It is also preferable that the name of the organisation and the paper in Scotland is consistent with the name in England and Wales.

On the other hand, there are important differences that also have to be taken into account. These include the relatively high profile and reputation of Scottish Militant Labour and our involvement in the broader Scottish Socialist Alliance.

SML’s High Profile

There are, of course, regional variations within Scotland. In Glasgow, SML has carved out a position as the third political force in the city after Labour and the SNP. In contrast, there are parts of Scotland where our organisation does not even exist at this stage.

Nonetheless, because Scotland is a small country, the strength of SML in Glasgow and other cities has percolated into the consciousness of the working class as a whole.

The fact that SML has a high profile and a positive reputation among a big layer does not in itself preclude the possibility of a name change. This has to be weighed up against other factors and a balance sheet has to be drawn up.

The Alliance and SML

Our involvement in the SSA is of decisive importance for us. Within the organisation in England and Wales there are differences of emphasis on the question of perspectives and especially of timescale for the formation of a broader socialist alliance or workers’ party. In Scotland the issue is much more clear-cut. As an integral part of the SSA we have less room for manoeuvre. Even if we decided that we wanted to adopt a new name (e.g. Scottish Socialist Party), we would have to take into account the effect that this would have on the SSA itself.

The SSA is still in its very early stages. In the future it may develop into a mass organisation with tens of thousands of members and trade union affiliations. But, at this stage, SML is the dominant political force with the SSA. If our organisation proclaimed itself the Scottish Socialist Party, or some variant on that label, this would inevitably be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to cause confusion and to hijack the name of the SSA by the back door. It would also blur the distinct identity of our own organisation with the SSA and stoke up confusion among our wider periphery of supporters.

On the other hand, by retaining our name for the time being we can gain the best of both worlds by preserving our distinct identity while, at the same time, appealing to a broader layer of workers through the SSA.

Is ‘Labour’ a Liability?

The one element of our name that is causing increasing discomfort among our own members is the Labour label. In the early days of the launch of SML it was a positive advantage to be linked with the traditions of the labour movement – although for a minority of SNP-leaning workers and youth, the Labour tag was always a disadvantage.

But during the past four years, the mood of a more advanced section of the working class has hardened against Labour. In the future, especially after a Labour government begins to attack the welfare state, the public sector and the trade unions, the Labour part of our name is likely to turn into a millstone around the neck of the organisation. The feeling of the Scottish EC is that the name Labour should be ‘humanely phased out’ – to borrow Kim Howells’ notorious phrase.

Nonetheless, in politics, timing is crucial. At this stage, there is no pressing urgency to remove Labour from our name. Even now, especially among older workers there is still an allegiance to Labour, albeit much weaker and less enthusiastic than in the past. That is likely to be the case up to and immediately after the general election.

In the meantime we can be flexible. In the past, when we have stood in elections, the inclusion of the name Labour has acted as a bridge for a layer of traditional Labour voters who would not necessarily have voted SNP or even SML. On the other hand, in campaigns such as the anti-CJA, that involved large numbers of radicalised youth, our leaflets, posters and placards conspicuously avoided use of the word Labour.

Instead of taking an immediate decision to remove Labour from our title, we are proposing that the decision be put on ice until after the general election when we can have a more wide-ranging discussion on all aspects of the name of our organisation. By that time events themselves will have helped clarify aspects of perspectives that are as yet unclear, e.g. the viability of the SSA, the exact outcome of the general election, etc.

A New Name for a New Paper

While proposing the retention of the name SML for the next period, we are in favour of immediately changing the name of the paper to either Scottish Socialist Voice, or Scottish Socialist.

Some of the more decisive arguments against changing the name of the organisation do not apply with the same force to the paper.

For example, the paper does not have the same standing among wide layers of the working class. Although we have, from time to time, sold large quantities of the paper, it has been difficult to sustain a regular core of readers outside our own ranks. This is largely because the paper, until now, has been largely produced in London and is consequently seen as an English paper with a token quantity of Scottish material.

There is a danger that we launch a new, redesigned paper, yet fail to make an impact because the name of the paper is the same as before. Like New Improved Ariel, New Scottish Militant will not necessarily be seen as a new product.

More positively, the name Scottish Socialist Voice (or Scottish Socialist) could have a broader appeal than Scottish Militant. In Scotland today, hundreds of thousands of people, including Labour and SNP supporters, regard themselves as socialists. Yet there is no Scottish-based newspaper that is explicitly socialist. By exploring outlets that we have not traditionally used in the past, including newsagents, bookshops and libraries, we could tap into a market that is much wider than the market for a paper called Scottish Militant.

Our Paper and the Alliance

Launching a paper called Scottish Socialist Voice (or even Scottish Socialist) would not have the same sectarian implications within the SSA as would renaming the organisation the Scottish Socialist Party. At this stage the only publication planned by the SSA is a bimonthly magazine called Red. There are no plans to produce a newspaper in the foreseeable future, therefore by launching a paper called Scottish Socialist, or Scottish Socialist Voice we are not treading on territory already marked out by the SSA.

If anything, a broader socialist paper can provide a platform for the SSA as well as for our own organisation. This does not mean that we are launching an SSA paper, nor that we want to encourage interminable debate like the Communist Party of Great Britain paper, The Weekly Worker. Irrespective of the name we choose for the paper it will be clearly identified as the paper of SML

On the other hand, we have to attempt to anticipate how events are likely to move in the future. At this stage, SML is better known than the SSA. But that will not necessarily be the case in the future – especially if the SSA makes a powerful impact during the coming general election campaign.

Even in Scotland, despite the profile of SML, the term militant may, in the future, be superseded by the idea of socialism.

The worst mistake we could make now would be to launch a new paper under the old name amidst a huge fanfare of publicity then, a year or two down the road, decide that we now want to change the name of the paper.

For all the reasons outlined above, the Scottish EC are proposing that we launch a new paper with a new name: either the Scottish Socialist Voice or the Scottish Socialist.

Summary of EC Proposals

1) Retain the name SML for the time being. Re-open a discussion on the name of the organisation at an appropriate point some time after the general election.

2) Launch a new paper called either the Scottish Socialist Voice or the Scottish Socialist. The final decision on the name of the paper to be taken by this meeting.

[Note: The Scottish Committee accepted this proposal and preferred Scottish Socialist Voice as the name of the paper – hence the resolution at the NC which unanimously accepted these proposals – MW].