News Updates

What is BDS and why does it matter?

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement was launched in summer 2005 by a coalition of Palestinian civil society organisations in order to bring international pressure against Israel to end its persistent violations of Palestinian human and national rights.

Modelled on the successful campaign to isolate apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, it has gone on to become a key means by which those internationally who stand in solidarity with the Palestine liberation struggle can weaken Israeli colonialism and Israel’s system of apartheid.

Motions of support for the BDS movement have been passed by an increasing number of trade unions, local authorities, political parties and student unions across the world, including in Scotland and Britain.

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Solidarity Protests with TGI Friday’s Strikers… on Friday!

by Richie Venton, SSP trade union organiser

Here’s a tip: pay a minimum £10-an-hour to all your staff from your profits – not by dipping into the tips left by generous customers!

That’s the message the SSP will be sending the bosses of TGI Friday’s, this Friday, as we stage street protests in support of striking staff.

“Thank God It’s Friday!”

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Israeli snipers slaughter over 100 demonstrators

The world has watched in horror at the criminal actions of the Israeli army in killing hundreds and injuring thousands more as they protested the illegal occupation of their land and the blockade that aims at strangling the life from the 1.8 million residents of Gaza.

In the six weeks of protests, planned to culminate on Nakba day, marking the expulsion of thousands of Palestinians to found Israel, over 100 demonstrators have been killed by IDF snipers and hundreds wounded. They are protesting for their right to return to their home land. They are being slaughtered for doing that.

The Scottish Socialist Party unreservedly condemns the action of the Israeli government and the provocative decision of the US Government to move it’s embassy to Jerusalem in a move that is designed to give the green light to Netanyahu’s right wing government to continue its programme of illegal settlement building and brutal repression in Palestine.

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May Day eBook: Lenin by James Maxton

The Scottish Socialist Party is proud to publish a newly restored and reconstructed edition of James Maxton’s seminal biography of Vladimir Lenin for free download – complete with clarified language, extensive footnotes and key historical details.

Our national secretary, Connor Beaton, spearheaded the project and provides the foreword – which briefly outlines the history and importance of accessible, readable biographies of key socialist historical figures.

This download is available in three formats – PDF (for printing and reading on computer screens), Mobi for side-loading on Kindle readers, and ePub for iPad and other compatible devices.

PDF
Mobi
ePub

On the key date of the socialist calendar –

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SSP EC statement on Catalonia

The Scottish Socialist Party offers its solidarity to those Catalans resisting the undemocratic and repressive response of the Spanish government to their democratic demand to determine their future relationship with the Spanish state.

We condemn the brutal police response to those protesting the continued victimisation of elected politicians for carrying out their mandate in organising the independence referendum last year. Such brutality, cloaked in the language of legality, is part of a long and dishonourable tradition of the Spanish state violently suppressing movements for change.

Having failed to defeat Catalan pro-independence parties at the ballot box in December, Rajoy’s government, whose party secured only 4% in those elections, have now moved to use their domestic courts and the judiciaries of other European countries to imprison prominent leaders of the independence movement.

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Thirty Pence is not Enough!

by Calum Martin

People who have spent a little time in Edinburgh will know the SSP Living Wage campaigns regularly on Princes Street. Sunday the 1st of April saw the Lothians branch pull off something a little different. On Easter Sunday, the Minimum Wage for those over 25 rose by about 30p, up to £7.83. If you are 25 or over you are legally guaranteed that in the workplace. If your employer is paying you less, they are breaking the law.

Rising Cost Of Living

Yet there are glaring omissions in this news. Not only are people under 25 missing from the increase, but there is still at least £2.17 per hour also missing.

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Redistributive Taxation – making the most of Devolution

by Calum Martin, SSP National Co-Chair

The Scottish Parliament was supposed to provide the ways and means to bring forward a new Scotland. Ours is a wealthy, productive nation, but it becomes more unequal daily. Workers create that wealth, yet it is skewed by a system rigged for the rich.

Inflation bites deep into workers wages, but every city in Scotland boasts more millionaires than ever before and corporate profits soar. Devolution can help us halt these problems – and with a bit of vision, put it in reverse. We have the wealth, the talents and ability to build ourselves a society and an economy which works well for all of us, not just a precious wealthy few.

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