Scottish Labour Party (1976-1981)
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Labour Party (SLP) was formed on January 18, 1976, as a breakaway from the UK Labour Party
, by members disaffected with the then Labour Government's failure to secure a devolved Scottish Assembly
, as well as with its social and economic agenda. The formation of the SLP was led by Jim Sillars
, then MP for South Ayrshire
, John Robertson
, then MP for Paisley
and Alex Neil, the UK Labour Party's senior Scottish researcher.
The split came just before the resignation of Harold Wilson
as prime minister and party leader and the election of James Callaghan
as his successor.
By 1979 the Scottish Labour Party had lost its seats in the House of Commons, and in 1981 it was formally disbanded.
Almost immediately the SLP became the focus for entryism
from the International Marxist Group
(IMG), and at the party's first congress in October 1976 the IMG was expelled, along with a number of branches whose members were not associated with the IMG. According to Henry Drucker's account, the IMG's role was rather limited; Sillars used this as an excuse for purging anyone he did not see entirely eye-to-eye with or represented a significant threat to his leadership.
The expellees formed a rival Scottish Labour Party (Democratic Wing), and this in turn later renamed itself the Scottish Socialist League (SSL). Gradually, those members of the SSL who had not been associated with the IMG drifted out, and the SSL was reabsorbed into the Trotskyist
Fourth International
.
The SLP had little electoral success, winning only three council seats at the 1977 local elections. It polled only 583 votes in the Garscadden by-election in 1978
. At the 1979 UK general election, the SLP fought three seats, including Sillars' attempt at being re-elected (Robertson chose to step down). Sillars came close to retaining his seat in South Ayrshire, but this was clearly a personal vote built up over the years he had already served as an MP, as the other two candidates polled poorly indeed.
This failure prompted the SLP to disband; and members either fell out of active politics, re-joined the Labour Party, or chose to join the Scottish National Party
(SNP), which both Sillars and Neil did, with both rising to high office in the SNP.
The SLP adventure is generally looked upon as an ambitious failure, but Sillars has himself put this down to a lack of planning before the decision to launch the party. Unlike the SLP, the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) meticulously planned their breakaway from the Labour Party, and were much more successful. Sillars has claimed that the SLP did at least provide a forerunner to the SNP's later dialogue with the left.
The SLP had a number of members who would later go on to achieve a name for themselves as a mainstream Labour politician, including John McAllion
who became MP and then MSP for Dundee East
, Maria Fyfe
one time MP for Glasgow Maryhill
, Colin Boyd, the former Lord Advocate
, and Charlie Gordon
, the former MSP for Glasgow Cathcart
. These individuals chose to join (or in some cases re-join) the Labour Party rather than follow Sillars into the SNP.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, by members disaffected with the then Labour Government's failure to secure a devolved Scottish Assembly
Scottish Assembly
The Scottish Assembly was a proposed legislature for Scotland that would have devolved a set list of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, as well as with its social and economic agenda. The formation of the SLP was led by Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars
Jim Sillars is a Scottish politician. He is married to current member of the Scottish Parliament, Margo MacDonald.-Early life:...
, then MP for South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Ayrshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1983, when it was abolished...
, John Robertson
John Robertson (Scottish Labour Party founder)
John Robertson was a British politician, who sat as a Labour Member of Parliament before co-founding the Scottish Labour Party in 1976....
, then MP for Paisley
Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
and Alex Neil, the UK Labour Party's senior Scottish researcher.
The split came just before the resignation of Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
as prime minister and party leader and the election of James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
as his successor.
By 1979 the Scottish Labour Party had lost its seats in the House of Commons, and in 1981 it was formally disbanded.
Almost immediately the SLP became the focus for entryism
Entryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
from the International Marxist Group
International Marxist Group
The International Marxist Group was a Trotskyist group in Britain between 1968 and 1982. It was the British Section of the Fourth International. It and its youth organisation had had around 1,000 members and supporters in the late 1970s...
(IMG), and at the party's first congress in October 1976 the IMG was expelled, along with a number of branches whose members were not associated with the IMG. According to Henry Drucker's account, the IMG's role was rather limited; Sillars used this as an excuse for purging anyone he did not see entirely eye-to-eye with or represented a significant threat to his leadership.
The expellees formed a rival Scottish Labour Party (Democratic Wing), and this in turn later renamed itself the Scottish Socialist League (SSL). Gradually, those members of the SSL who had not been associated with the IMG drifted out, and the SSL was reabsorbed into the Trotskyist
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
Fourth International
Reunified Fourth International
The Fourth International is a Trotskyist international. In 1963, the majorities of the two public factions of the Fourth International, the International Secretariat and the International Committee, reunited, electing a United Secretariat of the Fourth International...
.
The SLP had little electoral success, winning only three council seats at the 1977 local elections. It polled only 583 votes in the Garscadden by-election in 1978
Glasgow Garscadden by-election, 1978
The Glasgow Garscadden by-election, 1978 was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 April 1978 for the British House of Commons constituency of Glasgow Garscadden, in the north west periphery of the City of Glasgow....
. At the 1979 UK general election, the SLP fought three seats, including Sillars' attempt at being re-elected (Robertson chose to step down). Sillars came close to retaining his seat in South Ayrshire, but this was clearly a personal vote built up over the years he had already served as an MP, as the other two candidates polled poorly indeed.
This failure prompted the SLP to disband; and members either fell out of active politics, re-joined the Labour Party, or chose to join the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP), which both Sillars and Neil did, with both rising to high office in the SNP.
The SLP adventure is generally looked upon as an ambitious failure, but Sillars has himself put this down to a lack of planning before the decision to launch the party. Unlike the SLP, the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) meticulously planned their breakaway from the Labour Party, and were much more successful. Sillars has claimed that the SLP did at least provide a forerunner to the SNP's later dialogue with the left.
The SLP had a number of members who would later go on to achieve a name for themselves as a mainstream Labour politician, including John McAllion
John McAllion
John McAllion is a former Labour Party convener of Tayside Regional Council, Member of Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament , and a campaigner for Oxfam in Scotland...
who became MP and then MSP for Dundee East
Dundee East (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1950s:...
, Maria Fyfe
Maria Fyfe
Maria Fyfe is a politician in the United Kingdom and former Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill.-Early life:Born Maria O'Neill on 25 November 1938 to James O’Neill and Margaret Lacey, she became a member of the Labour Party in 1960. She came to education relatively later in life, studying...
one time MP for Glasgow Maryhill
Glasgow Maryhill (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Maryhill was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005 when it was subsumed into the new Glasgow North and Glasgow North East constituencies...
, Colin Boyd, the former Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
, and Charlie Gordon
Charlie Gordon
Charles Gordon is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He is the former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Cathcart....
, the former MSP for Glasgow Cathcart
Glasgow Cathcart (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Cathcart is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. These individuals chose to join (or in some cases re-join) the Labour Party rather than follow Sillars into the SNP.