Campaign for Socialism

Campaign for Socialism
AbbreviationCfS
SecretaryStuart Honeyman
Co-Chair
  • Debbie Boyd
  • Marty Smith
TreasurerFrieda Park
Founded1994; 30 years ago (1994)
HeadquartersGlasgow
NewspaperThe Citizen
Membership (2024)600
Ideology
Political positionLeft-wing
National affiliationScottish Labour
UK affiliateMomentum
Endorsed MSPs
4 / 22
Endorsed MPs
1 / 37
Website
[{http://www.campaignforsocialism.org.uk/}]

Campaign for Socialism (CfS) is an autonomous political organisation of Scottish Labour Party members and supporters who campaign for left-wing policies and candidates within the party.[1] In 2016, CfS agreed to a joint membership scheme with Momentum, a UK-wide grassroots movement supportive of Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership of the Labour Party.[2][3]

History

CfS was originally established in 1994 to campaign against the removal of Clause IV from the Labour Party's constitution.[4] By 2012, it was one of the only remaining ideological-based groupings in the party — but Gerry Hassan and Eric Shaw, writing that year, claimed that CfS "has few members, little organisational presence and has had a negligible influence on the direction of the party".[5]

CfS played a key role in organising Neil Findlay and Katy Clark's leadership bid in the 2014 Scottish Labour leadership election. Though unsuccessful, CfS claims the campaign "built the foundations for Jeremy [Corbyn]'s campaign just a few months later" by "giving many new, young volunteers experience and a network of contacts across the country that would help quickly mobilise an effective campaign".[6]

In 2016, Scottish Labour Young Socialists — founded in 2015[7] — became CfS's official youth wing.[8]

In 2017, five CfS members won seats on the Scottish Labour Party's national executive.[9] They called for the then Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, to pursue a socialist agenda and work more closely with Jeremy Corbyn's team.[10]

CfS endorsed[11] Richard Leonard to be the next leader of Scottish Labour following the resignation of Kezia Dugdale in August 2017. Leonard went on to win the leadership with 56.7% of the vote.[12]

In the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election the CfS endorsed Monica Lennon to be the next leader of Scottish Labour following Richard Leonard's resignation in January 2021.[13] She lost the election to Anas Sarwar, gaining 42.4% of the vote to his 57.6%.[14]

Notable members of CfS include: former Convenors Elaine Smith MSP and Neil Findlay MSP, former MPs Danielle Rowley and Hugh Gaffney (2017–2019), and Baroness Pauline Bryan.

Endorsed politicians

Members of the Scottish Parliament

Members of the United Kingdom Parliament

References

  1. ^ "News from the Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism (CfS)". 7 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  2. ^ Smith, Norman (24 October 2015). "What is Momentum, and why is it worrying Labour MPs?". BBC News.
  3. ^ Stone, Jon (8 October 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn's leadership campaign sets up new local activist network called 'Momentum'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Scottish Labour Left attacks London interference in Falkirk Selection Process". The Jimmy Reid Foundation. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. ^ Hassan, Gerry; Shaw, Eric (2012). The Strange Death of Labour Scotland. Edinburgh University Press. p. 259. ISBN 9780748655571.
  6. ^ Cook, Martyn; Kane, Tommy (November 2015). "How the contest was won". Scottish Left Review. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  7. ^ ""Something Different, Something Subversive"". Young Socialists. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Campaign for Socialism AGM discusses way forward". Workers' Liberty. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  9. ^ Executive Committee, retrieved 3 September 2020
  10. ^ Hutcheon, Paul (5 March 2017). "Dugdale loyalists lost out in Labour internal elections over bungled campaign approach". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  11. ^ "CfS Supports Richard Leonard for Scottish Labour Leader". Campaign for Socialism. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  12. ^ Carrell, Severin (18 November 2017). "Richard Leonard wins Scottish Labour leadership in decisive victory". the Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  13. ^ Campaign for Socialism [@LabourCfS] (9 February 2021). "Ballot emails arrive today. They will be sent from 'Scottish Labour Party' (labourelections@civica.co.uk) and the subject will be Scottish Labour Party – Scottish Labour Leadership. #Monica4Leader" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Anas Sarwar wins Scottish Labour leadership race". BBC News. 27 February 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.