SSPMajority

CWI draft motion for NC

This National Council sends its warmest congratulations for the outstanding victory of Tommy Sheridan against the right wing, anti trade union rag that is the News of the World.

This victory has been celebrated not just by most working class people in Scotland but also amongst the left and socialists internationally.

This National Council is however appalled at the actions of sections of the leadership both during the court case and since.

Leading members of the party have not just used the media to spread their spite but are also using their control of the apparatus of the SSP to continue their campaign against Tommy Sheridan and to justify their actions. This has done nothing but give succour to the wounded beast of the News of the World and News International.

The so called “Members Bulletin” sent out on the Friday/Saturday 4th/5th of August was not a member’s bulletin but a document outlining the opinions of a minority of the party. It was sent out even before the EC had met on Sunday August 6th. They did not even attempt to allow the views of the majority of the SSP, as clearly expressed at the May NC, to be circulated as part of this bulletin. These kind of underhand and bureaucratic measures are unacceptable.

We also note the statement from the SSP EC to the press and the party in general. The EC on August 6th refused to action the wishes of the last national council which voted to give Tommy Sheridan full support in his libel case against the News of the World. We are therefore aghast that they have disregarded the views of that national council and used that meeting to further attack Tommy Sheridan.

We note that our constitution states that the “Executive Committee is accountable for all its actions to the National Council and National Conference”.

This national council has no confidence in the EC to build the SSP back into a serious force for the working class nor in its ability to respect and abide by the wishes of the members.

This National Council therefore supports the immediate suspension of the EC until the conference in October re-elects a new leadership capable of reflecting the views of the party and taking the party forward.

In the meantime the National Council will be responsible for the democratic functioning of the party with the powers to delegate responsibility to individuals or sub-groups.

Renfrewshire Emergency motion to NC

The so called “Members Bulletin” sent out on the Friday/Saturday 4th/5th of August was not a member’s bulletin but a document outlining the opinions of a minority of the party. It was sent out even before the EC had met on Sunday August 6th. They did not even attempt to allow the views of the majority of the SSP, as clearly expressed at the May NC, to be circulated as part of this bulletin. We consider this unacceptable.

We also note the statement from the SSP EC to the press and the party in general. The EC on August 6th refused to action the wishes of the last national council which voted to give Tommy Sheridan full support in his libel case against the News of the World. They have disregarded the views of that national council and used that meeting to further attack Tommy Sheridan.

We note that our constitution states that the “Executive Committee is accountable for all its actions to the National Council and National Conference”.

This national council has no confidence in the EC to respect and abide by the wishes of the members.

This National Council therefore supports the immediate suspension of the EC until the conference in October re-elects a new leadership capable of reflecting the views of the party and taking the party forward.

In the meantime the National Council will be responsible for the democratic functioning of the party with the powers to delegate responsibility to individuals or sub-groups.

Cathcart East and West Motion

Motions from Cathcart East and West Branch

Meeting of the National Council on Sunday 27 August

Cathcart East Branch of the SSP recognises:
1. That the EC is only one of the constituent parts of the NC and that EC members comprise a minority of the NC membership;
2. That it is for the NC as a whole to determine when the NC should meet;
3. That the NC has decided to convene a meeting on Sunday 27 August 2006.

The Branch is of the view that any attempt by the EC to abandon the NC meeting on 27 August would be
unconstitutional. The Branch therefore demands that the NC meeting go ahead as scheduled on 27 August.

Emergency Motion to the NC Meeting on 27 August

This National Council sends its warmest congratulations for the outstanding victory of Tommy
Sheridan against the right wing, anti-trade union rag that is the News of the World. Given the record of
News International in destroying the livelihoods of thousands of print workers at Wapping in the 1980s and its history of attacking every group of workers who resist the attacks of their employers, this victory
will give heart to every activist in the working class movement. The victory has been celebrated not just by most working class people of Scotland but also among the left and socialists internationally.

This National Council is, however, appalled at the actions of sections of the leadership both during the
court case and since. Leading members of the party have not just used the media to spread their spite but are also using their control of the apparatus of the SSP to continue their campaign against Tommy Sheridan and to justify their actions. This has done nothing but give succour to the wounded beast of the News of the World and News International.

The so called Members Bulletin sent out on Friday/Saturday 4 5 August was not a members bulletin but a document outlining the opinions of a minority of the party. It was sent out even before the
EC had met on Sunday 6 August. The minority did not even attempt to allow the views of the majority of the SSP, clearly expressed at the May NC, to be circulated as part of the bulletin. These kinds of underhand and bureaucratic measures are unacceptable.

We also note the statement from the EC to the press and the party in general. The EC on 6 August refused to action the wishes of the National Council which voted to give Tommy Sheridan full support in his libel case against the News of the World. We are therefore aghast that they have disregarded the views of the National Council and used that meeting to further attack Tommy Sheridan. We note that our constitution states that The Executive Committee is accountable for all its actions to the National Council and National Conference.

Further, it is politically inexcusable that the EC gives political support to party members who are
demanding a police investigation into the partys internal affairs and to those who have passed internal
party documents to the police.

This National Council has no confidence in the EC to build the SSP back into a serious force for the
working class, or in its ability to abide by the wishes of the members.

This National Council therefore resolves to immediately suspend the EC until the party conference
on 7 8 October elects a new leadership capable of reflecting the views of the party and of taking the
party forward.

The National Council resolves to elect immediately a committee of seven members of the NC to oversee all party business between now and the party conference, including all arrangements for the conference and all public statements issued in the partys name.

While preparing for the Conference in October, the National Council calls on Party members also to engage with the growing movement against the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and to actively build for the Time to Go Demonstration on 23rd September at the Labour Party Conference

Cathcart West and East

Cathcart West and East branches supported the following motion related to the 3rd Sept:

This meeting is saddened that the SSP is no longer the open democratic party that we joined. We support the meeting on Sept 3rd called by Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne in order to discuss the renewal of the socialist movement in Scotland and the creation of a new socialist party. We call on all those who want to fight on the issues of poverty, low pay, war, the environment, workers rights, opposition to neo-liberal policies and racism and other issues facing the working class movement in Scotland and internationally to attend.

We also pass the following motion:

The branch believes that the "Time to Go: Britain and America out of Iraq, Blair out of power" demonstration at The New Labour Conference in Manchester on September 23rd can provide a common focus for every section of the movement and a launching point for a new Scottish left that will be open, democratic, internationalist and committed to the building of a new and better world.