The Scottish Socialist Party was a small political party operating in Scotland. It was primarily a left-wing breakaway from 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) although it succeeded in recruiting a number of Labour Party members, including the former Labour Group leader in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 council, Alex Wood

Alex Wood

Alex Wood is a former Labour leader of Edinburgh City Council in Scotland. He was educated at Paisley Grammar School, the New University of Ulster, Moray House College of Education, Edinburgh University and Stirling University....

. A group of dissident Labour Party and SNP members formed the Scottish Socialist Movement in 1987, shortly after the general election held that year

United Kingdom general election, 1987

The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...

 and in 1988 the SMM became the Scottish Socialist Party.

It favoured the establishment of a Scottish socialist republic, independent

Scottish independence

Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....

 of the United Kingdom.

The party contested only one parliamentary seat, Glasgow Central

Glasgow Central (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Central is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . In its current form, the constituency was first used in the general election of 2005, but there was also a Glasgow Central constituency from 1885 to 1997.- Boundaries :The Redistribution of Seats Act...

 at the 1989 by-election

Glasgow Central by-election, 1989

The Glasgow Central by-election, in the Glasgow Central constituency, Scotland, was held on 15 June 1989. It was caused by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament for the constituency, Robert McTaggart....

, when its candidate Bill Kidd received 137 votes (0.5%). The party folded the following year and many of its members subsequently returned to the SNP, including Bill Kidd.

The party published a regular magazine, Socialist Scotland and had links with the Welsh socialist party, Cymru Goch

Cymru Goch

Cymru Goch was a left wing nationalist organisation in Wales. It was founded in 1987 and fought for what it described as a Free Socialist Wales...

.

This party is in no way related to the Scottish Socialist Party

Scottish Socialist Party

The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....

established in 1998.