New socialist party led by union veteran Bob Crow to fight general election

Published on Wednesday 13 January 2010 18:03

TRADE union firebrand Bob Crow is set to lead a new left-wing party to stand against Labour in the general election, and hopes to unite the warring socialist factions in Scotland to fight under a single banner.

• Bob Crow

The new party could add to Gordon Brown's difficulties in this year's election, threatening to take votes from Labour in key marginal seats and in the party's heartlands in the north of England and Scotland.

The RMT boss will stage a clear-the-air meeting in Glasgow later this month in a bid to bring together Tommy Sheridan's Solidarity Party and the rival Scottish Socialist Party within the new coalition.

The two parties are sworn enemies after leading figures in the SSP gave evidence against their former leader Sheridan during his court battle against sex allegations in an English tabloid newspaper.

A report of the latest meeting of the new Trade Union led Socialist party, held in London last week, has been obtained by The Scotsman.

The report reveals that Mr Crow will be named leader of the party once it has been registered with the electoral authorities.

A priority of the coalition will be to encourage unity among the left-wing groups in Scotland.

The report reads: "For electoral registration requirements the interim leader of the coalition will be Dave Nellist from the Socialist Party. Following the ratification of the RMT's executive committee, Dave will step down and be replaced by Bob Crow."

The report says the coalition is backed by two trade union general secretaries, two assistant general secretaries and two trade union presidents. It adds: "It has been decided to convene a steering committee in Scotland, with invitations initially being sent to Solidarity and the Scottish Socialist Party.

"Bob Crow will attend the first Scottish steering committee meeting, which will take place in Glasgow on Saturday, 30 January."

The report also reveals the manifesto on which the coalition will stand. It includes a commitment to public ownership of industry, banking and utilities; a promise not to implement cuts in public services; an end to public bail-outs of the banking industry; improved trade union rights; and an end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The RMT no longer helps to fund Labour and leader Mr Crow has already tried to fight it in an election, leading an anti-EU party at the last European poll.

Scotland's two main socialist parties have contested elections separately since they split three years ago, and have both sunk below the radar in elections.

In the recent Glasgow North East by-election the SSP received less than 1 per cent of the vote in a city where they used to have two MSPs. Solidarity won 4 per cent of the vote, but trailed the British National Party.

A Solidarity Party source said:

"Hopefully, with a left-wing alternative to Labour now emerging and Bob Crow hoping to lead it, that will be enough to bring all the parties together under one coalition."