SSP & other socialist orgs in Scotland

[Sweyn Forkbeard]

Hey.

I'm moving to Scotland (Edinburgh) pretty soon and I'm just wondering what kind of worthwhile political organizations are at all active there. I know SSP is kind of prominent and I've actually talked with Colin Fox and he didn't seem that bad, are they actually any good or are they pretty much like your average European democratic socialist party like die Linke & co.?

AF is pretty active from what I've heard here, but anarchism isn't precisely my cup of tea, and that's where my knowledge of Scottish political situation ends.

All help appreciated!

[h0m0revolutionary]

Hey comrade, i'd be happy to give you an outline of Scotlands active far-left, but there are many so could you be more specific, do you belong to a tradition at all?

[The Anarchist Federation is an anarchist-communist group btw ;)]

[Sweyn Forkbeard]

Hi.

Nope, I don't really belong into any kind of specific tradition. If I had to define myself, I guess I identify more with leftcoms etc. than Marxist-Leninists, but it's still not a label I'd like to put on myself.

Also, yeah, I know AF is anarchist-communist and they seem cool enough but I'd rather see what alternatives I'm going to have in Scotland, first.

[Rooster]

Well, if you're not a hard line marxist-leninist then the SSP would just be fine for you. I'm sure they're fairly active in Edinburgh, although I haven't been paying attention since the split. There is also the communist party but I don't think they're for you.

There is also the Socialist Labour Party (http://www.socialist-labour-party.org.uk/), Solidarity (http://www.new.solidarityscotland.org/) and this is the Scottish Committe of the Communist Party (http://www.scottishcommunists.org.uk/).

There's also a sort of marxist book shop in Edinburgh that you can go and ask around. I think they have a board on the wall that people stick notes up but I haven't been in for a long time. http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/word-power-books-edinburgh