MEMBERS of Solidarity have agreed it should de-register as a political party, but a rebranded campaigning entity will launch next month.
The new Solidarity Socialist Network is described as “a socialist and independence campaigning group” that will continue the work established by the original party.
This will include strengthening its online presence with a blog to promote its aims and goals, present arguments on current affairs and comment on national and international political issues.
It will be back up by a social media presence, an online publication promoting and hosting arguments “for socialism generally and specifically arguments for an Independent Socialist Republic in Scotland”.
The party’s national executive committee (NEC) also agreed that cash raised from subscription to Solidarity over recent years would help finance the new body in the form of the SSN Fund.
In a statement, it said: “The administrators shall decide upon donations to such organisations including trade unions, socialist and radical independence causes, as well as other appropriate causes, as they see fit, while commissioning articles and conducting interviews for widespread publication and promotion.
“The administrators shall keep accurate accounts and publish Annual Financial Reports to SSN supporters, based on existing Solidarity members and others who may wish to register an interest in supporting the SSN’s socialist, independence, anti-nuclear weapons and solidarity aims.”
Current party members would be given the choice to halt their existing subs payments or continue supporting the SSN.
The SSN’s public launch will be on the evening of January 31, which will also host the first SSN lecture to mark 103 years to the day the “40 hours strike” in Glasgow. This was designed to reduce the average working week, improve conditions, and absorb thousands of returning soldiers into the Scottish workforce.
The statement added: “The government in London feared an insurrection, a socialist revolution, and responded accordingly with the use of police officers and army troops to crush the legitimate strike and impose martial law across Glasgow for three days.”
Tommy Sheridan was elected SSN chair, and Ken Ross its secretary.
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