With less than a week until the 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections, SSP Election Campaign Organiser Richie Venton reflects on an energetic and exciting socialist election campaign
CONSIDERING OUR lack of resources, the SSP has staged a phenomenal election campaign, popularising socialist measures that would transform the lives of millions of working-class and young people.
It was an act of immense courage and vision, based on our analysis and foresight — including our assessment of the likely prospects for other forces on the left — that led us to standing in all eight regions. It’s been a huge boost to the cause of socialism that there is one — and only one — socialist alternative on all the peach ballot forms for Scotland’s voters.
And we’ve resolved to make the most of it.
We’ve held street campaign stalls all over the country, at least weekly, some more often, with people warmly responding to the issues — as opposed to the election itself, which for far too many is a total turn-off, as the mass media help convey the perception that “they’re all the same”, with soundbites to win votes rather than principles and policies to change lives.
Cutting through well-founded scepticism
Our unique policy of SSP MSPs living on nothing more than a skilled worker’s wage cuts through a lot of the layers of scepticism and cynicism towards politicians, born of years of disappointment, betrayal and seas of corruption lapping round the knees of those ‘in it for the money’.
We’ve hand-delivered hundreds of thousands of leaflets round doors, a measure of our activists’ dedication.
We’ve worked miracles to raise the funds — all in the form of generous donations from party members and a huge number of people not (yet!) in the SSP, who value the need to get three million SSP leaflets printed to be delivered by Royal Mail posties.
Our case put to workers
We’ve leafleted many hospitals, factories, civil service offices, FE colleges and other workplaces, catching workers as they arrive, triggering discussions about our policies in the canteens, at water coolers and on ‘the shop floor’; after all, as a working-class socialist party, these are our people!
We’ve found the time to show solidarity with workers in struggle, at several universities and other picket lines over the past few weeks, as workers increasingly rear up in resistance to pay cuts, job cuts and the general malaise of Labour and SNP austerity. In several cases strikers have invited the likes of Colin Fox or me to speak at their rallies. The SSP have been a lively, visible presence on numerous anti-racist marches and counter-protests to the far right — long before and during the election campaign, as indeed we will after the polling stations close.
Widespread support from non-members
One of the most significant trends are the number of people and collectives outside the ranks of the SSP who are very warm to us — even more so than in previous elections — in recognition of our steadfast struggle and solidarity as well as our socialism, over the years, if not decades.
For instance, at this week’s STUC congress in Dundee, in just over half a day we sold almost 100 copies of our new pamphlet, A Socialist Action Plan, at a conference of around 300 delegates — many of whom we never got to speak to.
Several union branches have contributed to the SSP’s Election Fund, as have hundreds of individual trade unionists.
A few SNP members have donated, on condition they are not named, which of course we will respect.
A man from the Highlands told me he would donate, having just left the Labour party six months ago. “I’ll donate what I would have given them,” he said, as he chucked in £500!
All of which adds up to a powerful rebuttal to those wiseacres who have accused the SSP of being sectarian!
Mothers Against Genocide Scotland
And in recognition of our stand-out track record on international solidarity, our socialist opposition to the imperialist genocide against the people of Gaza and Scottish government subsidies to war-profiteering arms companies, the vibrant campaign group, Mothers Against Genocide Scotland, had this to say – publicly!
Party full of socialist ideas – and action
The SSP are not just dedicated people, and certainly not empty-headed activists; we are brimful of ideas on how to change society to the benefit of the millions, as opposed to vicious rule by the millionaires.
Our candidates and other members have equipped themselves admirably on behalf of the party, for instance at election hustings. Mostly from the floor of the meeting as unfortunately too many organisations exclude us while platforming the Tories and Reform UK.
Or on the panel, as with, for instance, Collette Bradley at a Unison Lanarkshire Health branch hustings of mostly trade union activists, where several queued up at the end to say she was easily the best, and where I even got the Labour candidate’s husband to promise us his list vote!
On top of countless leaflets — including a final one aimed at workplaces, with ‘seven socialist steps to transform working-class lives” — we produced a hard-hitting election manifesto.
Socialist manifesto
The Scottish Socialist Party’s Manifesto is called A Socialist Action Plan for good reason.
It presents our vision of an independent, nuclear-free, poverty-free, pollution-free Scottish socialist republic, harnessing the nation’s wealth for its people, a force for peace and international cooperation, not endless wars.
However, we recognise the limits imposed by the straitjacket of devolution and offer an action plan of immediate socialist measures which SSP MSPs would put forward as parliamentary Bills. Measures to cut household bills, increase people’s incomes, and vastly improve universal public services.
Buy a physical copy of A Socialist Action Plan today.
Burst asunder the devolution straitjacket!
We refuse to sit back passively as the cost-of living crisis, climate catastrophe and wars blight the lives of the Scottish working class. We want action, inside and outside Holyrood, where necessary bursting asunder the straitjacket of devolution, championing measures that would transform the daily lives of millions.
As one journalist — himself a Labour councillor — said to me, “The SSP manifesto is different. The other parties [including Labour -RV] are fighting over scraps. Yours’ is much bigger than that, more ambitious, it has a vision.”
You can still help!
With less than a fortnight left, I appeal to readers to pile in with any offers of help you can make. Buy our brand-new pamphlet to see more of what we’re saying, hopefully to then advocate our socialist action plan yourself.
Help us leaflet workplaces, colleges, transport hubs and shoppers.
Give us a donation towards the eye-watering costs of printing all this material, if you haven’t already; every £5, £10, £100 is hugely appreciated. After all, it’s from each according to their ability, to the SSP in its hour of financial need!
Persuade work colleagues, friends and family, that there’s no such thing as a wasted vote for the SSP on the lists, the Additional Vote system, where about 6-7% of the votes cast for the party would get us a regional MSP.
We’re here to stay – and fight
And we won’t shut up shop on 7 May, nor after the results are announced on the 8th. Yes, we might have a hard-earned rest, but we’ll be back out on the picket lines, streets and demonstrations, advocating our unique, clean socialist alternatives to capitalist poverty, pollution and wars without end.
We are literally the only socialist party putting up a challenge to the dishwater ideas of the mainstream in every corner of Scotland, on all 8 regional lists.
If we get SSP member/s elected to Holyrood, what a breakthrough for the socialist cause that will be — so do what you can.
But if the rigged system — where money buys publicity and votes — prevents us this time round, we will come out of this campaign stronger and even more determined to build our class-struggle socialist party, to carve out the socialist future we envision.
Join the SSP to help seize that future for yourself and the next generations!
