Latest news with #CollectiveScotland
The National
5 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Corbyn-Sultana party clarifies Scottish independence stance
Jim Monaghan is a member of the steering group Collective Scotland which is tasked with setting up the as-yet-unnamed party north of the Border and previously told The National it would be open to 'candidates and members' on both sides of the constitutional debate. He has now clarified the Corbyn-Sultana project's stance, saying: 'We're so far away now from having a position on that.' He added: 'When that party launches, which I'm expecting to be later this month, will be the start of us getting serious in Scotland and finding out who the members are when they join and trying to get, we're looking at the end of August before we get any real meeting of what will be the new party in Scotland and until then, we don't really have a position other than we are happy to take part in the coalition, electoral alliance talks in Scotland on that basis, on the basis of supporting a referendum.' Monaghan (above) said that in his initial interview with The National, he had been setting out the constitutional stance of another organisation he is involved with, the Left Alternative. This is a coalition of small, left-wing parties in Scotland including the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP) and the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (Tusc). READ MORE: Insider lifts lid on workings of Corbyn-Sultana project in Scotland It will also be constituted as a party for the 2026 Holyrood elections, according to Monaghan. He said: 'It's not really [that] we're starting two parties.' There will be the Corbyn-Sultana project which will eventually become a party, he explained, and the Left Alternative coalition. (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire) The latter must be constituted as a political party and registered with the Electoral Commission to contest elections, Monaghan argued. 'The Left Alternative idea is several parties,' he said. 'The Collective as it's known now, or whatever the new Corbyn party's called, will be one of several parties who'll be part of this electoral alliance but they will be a party in their own right as well. Going forward in the future, after the 2026 elections, as to what strategy is taken forward in Scotland after that we're way, way, miles, we're not even discussing that.' He added: 'It's not as if we're forming two parties; we're forming a party and our party is going to join an electoral alliance that will have to, by law, register as a party for the election.'
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Insider lifts lid on workings of Corbyn-Sultana project in Scotland
Jim Monaghan, a member of the Collective Scotland group which is in the process of setting up the as-yet-unnamed party's Scottish branch, said that 'electoral success is why we're forming a political party' despite previous failures to build broad-church socialist groups. He said that the party would start from the position of backing the Scottish Parliament's right to hold indyref2 – but that members and candidates could be for or against independence itself. In the first interview any member has given since Sultana's announcement of the new party on Thursday, Monaghan (below) told The National: 'We want to bring the left together, no matter what side of the independence debate they're on. 'For our candidates or members, they can hold either position on independence. 'Our position will be – to start, I put a caveat in here that once we've got members they might call a conference and agree or disagree with this – our starting position is that we support self-determination and we support the Scottish Parliament to have the right, to have the powers to be able to call and hold a referendum.' The party will be both a party in and of itself, tied to the one being set up in England by Corbyn and Sultana, and part of an 'electoral coalition', Monaghan said. He added: 'There will be a party and people can join it. It's not the same thing as the electoral coalition that we'll stand at the Holyrood elections because that will be made up of other people and other parties as well. 'We're not saying that everyone who joins the electoral front will be joining Collective, we want to build an actual party, a left-wing alternative based in Scotland which will be part of the UK-wide initiative.' READ MORE: How small Scottish parties are reacting to news of a new Corbyn project Policy decisions will be taken by members, Monaghan said, and he expects that a conference in Glasgow on October 4 will see 'something put forward that day for everyone to agree on and that would be the start of it'. The nascent party has already held talks with the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), Socialist Party Scotland (SPS), the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (Tusc) and the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP), according to Monaghan. The involvement of the SWP may prove a source of controversy, given the toxicity of the Trotskyist party among some sections of the left. Despite this, the SWP have maintained a role in organising coalitions of left-wing groups around specific causes and remain a regular presence at protests. (Image: PA) Other non-party-affiliated actors will be involved, Monaghan said, including trade unionists, 'well-known' community campaigners, and some involved with the Sheku Bayoh campaign. The electoral front is said to have already been put into practice by Collective Scotland's predecessor group, Left Alternative, which Monaghan claimed had played a part in agreeing 'non-aggression' pacts between small left-wing parties in two recent Glasgow City Council by-elections. READ MORE: Greens should be open to alliance with Jeremy Corbyn party, says Polanski In Southside Central, the group negotiated that the local SSP candidate would stand unopposed by any other small, left-wing parties and the same for the Tusc candidate in the North East ward. In the former election, the SSP's vote increased by 5.2% while in the latter, it rose by 2.5%. The SSP have not held a Scottish Parliament seat since 2007. Tusc, which have contested elections since 2011 have never won a parliamentary seat, though have picked up a handful of councillors. Asked why he expected the Corbyn-Sultana project to succeed where others had failed, Monaghan said: 'The politics of the country have changed. The centre ground has moved to the right and the centre parties aren't really addressing that, they're shifting to the right with the centre ground instead of fighting back. 'Even under Blair and Brown there was things like minimum wage, there was loads of things came in that were able to keep trade unionists and keep socialists in the Labour broad church. Now there's nothing like that. Starmer himself has set out to destroy the broad church.' Monaghan said that the SNP would not be welcome to work with Collective Scotland, as they were the party of government. 'If the SNP were in opposition, then possibly but this is to offer people a left alternative to Labour and the SNP,' he said. The Scottish Greens would be welcome to get involved, Monaghan said, though he thought this unlikely. 'I've been involved in left politics in Scotland for a long time, for decades and the Greens have never really been part of that, never really shown any interest in being part of any of the various campaigns and coalitions that have come, apart from a handful of individuals,' he added.
The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Small Scottish parties react to new Jeremy Corbyn project
Last week, the former Labour leader hinted at plans underway that would see the creation of a 'left independent party of socialist view[s]', with suspended Labour MP Sultana announcing she had quit the ruling party to form a new one with Corbyn. The Islington North MP has been working with an informal group of MPs, named the Independent Alliance, but confirmed on Friday that 'discussions are ongoing' to create a new party. No name or any concrete details have been announced. On Sunday a group called Collective Scotland published a statement suggesting they would be leading the project in Scotland, and would aim to build "a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left". READ MORE: How UK media are covering up British spy flights for Israel Details of both potential parties are still thin on the ground, and Scottish left-wing parties have queried whether the party, if it comes to fruition, will have a chance of breaking through north of the Border. Collective Scotland has no social media presence or website, and no members have yet gone on the record to set out any details, or how it links to Corbyn's plans. A website does exist for Collective, a group that describes itself as a 'mass movement for a new left party', and claims it has helped co-ordinate campaigns for left-wing candidates since 2023. Its directors are listed as Pamela Fitzpatrick, who describes herself as an independent candidate and trade unionist on her social media, and Karie Murphy, a former executive director of the office of the leader of the opposition under Corbyn. (Image: X) Whether this group is involved in Corbyn's project or its Scottish branch is still unclear. In Scotland, a source told The National that a 'small group of people' had been working since the end of 2024 to meet with other left groups in Scotland about 'how to work together'. The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) said no one from the group had approached them. On Monday, Green Party of England and Wales leadership contender Zack Polanski said the party should be open to an alliance with Corbyn. But the Scottish Greens did not seem keen to enter an alliance as had been suggested by Polanski. MSP Ross Greer said: 'Labour is constantly lurching further to the right, but fortunately, Scotland has an organised and successful party on the left, the Scottish Greens "We are proud eco-socialists and anti-capitalists, committed to the transformation of our society into one which meets the needs of people and planet. 'We have already delivered increased taxes on the super-rich, free bus travel for young people and an emergency rent freeze. With even more Greens in Parliament, we can do much more to tackle the cost of living and climate crises." The MSP called on people who share his vision to join his party. Approach to independence Corbyn and Sultana's new venture also has a vague approach to independence, with the source suggesting this part of policy would be determined by its members, if a party is eventually established. Some of Scotland's left-wing parties, who are pro-Yes, said they had concerns with this approach. READ MORE: SNP selection candidate wins appeal after 'stitch up' 'We need to clearly advocate independence if we're going to further the cause of socialism in Scotland,' Richie Venton, from the SSP, told The National. He added that defending the right to a second independence referendum is a 'good starting point', but was 'far from sufficient, it's absolutely inadequate'. Venton added: 'I would also say that we as a party have always sought to build maximum unity for socialism. 'But the fact that some tiny handful of people in Scotland are declaring this new party as if it's an established fact, is not only premature, but secondly is problematic when they've been saying that without even having first spoken to the SSP, which is by far the biggest socialist force in Scotland.' He added that the SSP would be willing to work with any group looking to promote socialism, but would need more details about their policy platform, of which there is currently very little available. Neale Hanvey, Alba's deputy leader, said that it was clear there was an 'appetite for change' given Prime Minister Keir Starmer's failure to deliver for working people during his first year in office. 'While it is welcome that there are those on the left who believe that the Scottish Parliament and not Westminster should have the power to call an independence referendum, a new London-based party with a Scottish branch office is not the way forward,' Hanvey added. 'What Scotland needs is a clear route map to independence which is why we are urging independence supporters, however they vote in constituencies, to give their list vote to Alba.' READ MORE: Greens should be open to alliance with Jeremy Corbyn party – Zack Polanski Elsewhere, Socialist Party Scotland (SPS) welcomed the announcement from Corbyn and Sultana, adding that it 'offers an opportunity to create a new mass workers' party if the correct steps are taken'. They shared a statement from their sister party, the Socialist Party England and Wales, which said a new workers' party is 'vital to combat the right-populists' of Nigel Farage's Reform. The SNP and Scottish Communist Party were contacted for comment.
The National
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Details emerge of Scottish arm of new Jeremy Corbyn party
The former Labour leader hinted at plans to form a new party earlier this week, suggesting he would be at the helm of a 'left independent party of socialist view[s]'. The day after Corbyn's announcement, suspended Labour MP Zarah Sultana announced she had quit to join the new party, which she said she would co-lead with Corbyn. Rumours quickly flew around whether or not there would be a Scottish branch of the new party when it is eventually set up. A source told The National that a small group of left-leaning Scots have been working behind the scenes to prepare the Scottish arm ahead of the Holyrood election. However, with the party not yet fully-fledged, how many, if any, candidates it will stand is still up in the air. Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA)On Saturday, a group called Collective Scotland published a statement confirming it had indeed been working towards a new party. Collective is a movement which is working to build towards and begin a mass-membership party of the left. It is behind the new party referenced by Sultana, but is not a new party in its own right. The statement by the Collective Scotland, the group's Scottish branch, was shared by several figures on social media, such as pro-independence outlet Bella Caledonia, Govanhill writer and poet Jim Monaghan, and the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. In it, the group indicated it was looking to build "a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left" for next year's election. READ MORE: Devolved relations reset with Labour has 'failed', says SNP official While the statement did not mention Corbyn or Sultana directly, it said that "as the left across Britain comes together to form a new political party, the Scottish left now has a similar opportunity to unite". It added: "With the SNP stagnant after 18 years of government, with the Labour party a hollow shell of itself, and the looming threat of Reform and the far-right, the time is ripe for a new progressive, left-wing consensus to form in Scotland. "Collective Scotland is already engaged in discussions towards a conference of progressives and socialists to take place on October 4th in Glasgow. We invite all those groups and parties not already engaged in this project to join us. "At that conference, we will look to build a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left to run in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, and build towards longer-term campaigns in our local communities for the 2027 Scottish local elections. "In partnership with our left allies, we will seek to present a programme which takes away greed and personal enrichment from Scotland's political structures, and gives renewal to our local public services and democracy." The statement continued: "A trend that must be broken in our political traditions is to assume that all politics happens at just Holyrood or one's local council chamber. We want to be more than just an electoral alliance for Scotland's left; we want to be the link to a wider progressive social movement. "We look forward now, as an autonomous party of Scotland's progressives and socialists, to the coalition and partnerships we must build for all of Scotland's left to succeed, not just as a set of parties, but as a wider movement." The focus of Collective has primarily been in the UK Parliament, as this is where the elected representatives that would form a party are based. However, The National understands that the Collective Scotland branch and other left groups have been working since the end of 2024 towards some form of alliance or coalition for next year's Holyrood election. READ MORE: Cabinet minister refuses to confirm if two-child cap will be scrapped A source close to the organisation told The National: "In Scotland, we have been working as a small group of people in Collective since the end of last year, meeting with other left groups in Scotland who already have initiatives going about how to work together. "There's only a very small group of people, all we're really doing is preparing the way for a new party to happen. In the end, it'll be up to the members to decide how to proceed from there." The National understands that the group is not clear on whether it will be standing candidates under a new party at next year's Holyrood election. While the group may stand candidates in a few constituencies, it may also decide to back another coalition or alliance. On independence, the source stressed that the party's policy would be determined by its members, and could be changed or altered. But they said: "We, at least in Collective Scotland, support the idea of self-determination and support the power to call and hold a referendum." They added that they believed this power "should lie with the Scottish Parliament, not the UK Parliament."
The National
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Scottish arm of Corbyn party set to run in Holyrood elections
The former Labour leader confirmed plans to form a new party earlier this week, suggesting he would be at the helm of a 'left independent party of socialist view[s]'. Following an announcement that suspended Labour MP Zarah Sultana had quit to join the new party, Govanhill writer and poet Jim Monaghan wrote on Twitter/X that he is part of the "interim Scottish Secretariat" of the group, which has been working to prepare for the new party. More details have now emerged of the Scottish arm of Corbyn's new project, after several figures – including Monaghan – shared a statement by group Collective Scotland which indicated it was looking to build "a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left" to run in next year's election. Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA) While the statement did not mention Corbyn directly, it said that "as the left across Britain comes together to form a new political party, the Scottish left now has a similar opportunity to unite". It added: "With the SNP stagnant after 18 years of government, with the Labour party a hollow shell of itself, and the looming threat of Reform and the far-right, the time is ripe for a new progressive, left-wing consensus to form in Scotland. "Collective Scotland is already engaged in discussions towards a conference of progressives and socialists to take place on October 4th in Glasgow. We invite all those groups and parties not already engaged in this project to join us. "At that conference, we will look to build a full-fledged electoral alliance of the Scottish left to run in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, and build towards longer-term campaigns in our local communities for the 2027 Scottish local elections. "In partnership with our left allies, we will seek to present a programme which takes away greed and personal enrichment from Scotland's political structures, and gives renewal to our local public services and democracy." READ MORE: 'Stupid': Journalists blast BBC after binning 'high risk' Glastonbury shows The statement continued: "A trend that must be broken in our political traditions is to assume that all politics happens at just Holyrood or one's local council chamber. We want to be more than just an electoral alliance for Scotland's left; we want to be the link to a wider progressive social movement. "We look forward now, as an autonomous party of Scotland's progressives and socialists, to the coalition and partnerships we must build for all of Scotland's left to succeed, not just as a set of parties, but as a wider movement." Other figures to have shared the statement include pro-independence outlet Bella Caledonia and the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
