Keep a Steel Town, not a Ghost Town!

It was the best SSP street stall since the halcyon days of the referendum, when masses of people were thirsty for politics on the street.

At the last minute this morning – because local SSP members were all at work – Joe, Willie and I headed to Motherwell to advertise the SSP public meeting at 7.30pm this Monday night in the Jim Foley Centre, Craigneuk, on the theme ‘Keep a Steel Town – Not a Ghost Town‘. It rained on the way, but seeing us undeterred, it kindly stopped on our arrival!

After a few minor glitches involving McDonald’s objecting to the SSP banner next to their town centre zero-hours slavery establishment, we got blasting out our message.

“Sign the petition demanding nationalisation of steel to save every job. Nationalise to save steel production for house-building and other social needs. Tell the Scottish government to turn fine words of support into decisive action by taking steel into public ownership. Don’t let them turn a proud town into a ghost town!”

Queues gathered early on as they heard our appeal. The queues then became unmanageable for one person to deal with as we switched on the PA system to make our socialist alternative even louder and clearer.

Every age-range signed our petition, patiently waiting their turn in the queue. Lots of older workers who had been in the steel industry, including an inordinate number with disabilities, probably caused by the heavy work they’d done to enhance national industry and bosses’ profits. Lots of parents with push chairs, too. They easily and immediately grasped the case for nationalisation – for social need, not private greed!

A squad of school kids on their lunch break who asked me what it was about, and after I’d explained, said: “That would mean there’d be no decent jobs when I leave school“, a team of them heading to sign at the stall.

And several of the construction workers on the scaffolding outside McDonald’s (minus our banner!) stood aloft listening, later coming down to sign the petition and buy the Scottish Socialist Voice. Several people thanked us, “Good on you“, “I hope you succeed“, egging us on with the arguments we broadcast on the PA.

Hundreds signed our demands on the Scottish Government to take steel into public ownership and involve the workers in drafting a plan of steel production for social need.  One hundred and two of them bought the Scottish Socialist Voice – into which we had inserted a double-sided A4 supplement – my piece on the steel closures issue. And three locals signed up to join the SSP on the spot.

The message of the SSP resonated round the town centre, and more importantly found a ready resonance in the minds of hundreds of local people. The indispensable contribution of socialists – of the SSP – to fighting for a future in such a dire situation was underlined in red today. The potential for a massive movement in the area if the unions and the Scottish Government took their cue and used their immense authority to call for public ownership to save all jobs, skills and steel production was glimpsed.

Friends, and comrades – keep demanding that course of action! We must succeed.