Scottish Socialist Youth
Encyclopedia
Scottish Socialist Youth (SSY) is the youth wing
of the Scottish Socialist Party
. They are an anti-capitalist, anti-racist and anti-globalisation organisation. SSY stands for the creation of an independent
, socialist Scotland
.
SSY publishes a magazine, Leftfield, with contributions from members and supporters as well as maintaining a blog of the same name. They also have a regular column in the Scottish Socialist Voice
, the fortnightly newspaper of the SSP.
SSY enjoys good links with students in Scotland, particularly through various socialist societies at universities and colleges throughout the country, and has a strong online presence at their regularly updated blog.
They also organise an annual summer camp called 'Camp Secret Squirrel' in August open to all members of the SSY and other interested young people.
They were involved in the campaign against the G8
summit at Gleneagles. In June 2007, five members of the SSY were arrested at Faslane as part of the Faslane 365 campaign They were also heavily involved in campaigning for the SSP during the 2005 general election
and in the 2007 Scottish Parliament
and council elections where a number of members stood as SSP candidates.
Currently they are campaigning against low pay for young workers, and are arguing for an £8 per hour minimum wage regardless of age. They have produced workers' rights cards to let young workers know what they are entitled to and how to get it. In November 07, the SSY in conjunction with the SSP LGBT Network organised a protest against Stagecoach
after two young gay men were threatened with being thrown off a bus as one had their arm around the other .
The results of the 2010 UK election resulting in a coalition government led by the Tories, has led to the SSY campaigning against the new government and the cuts that they are inflicting. SSY received national media attention recently when they organised a short notice demonstration to coincide with David Cameron
's first visit to Scotland as Prime Minister, on 14 May 2010.
Recently, SSY have also been involved in anti-fascist activity in Scotland, notably helping organise mobilisations against the far-right Scottish Defence League in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Kilmarnock as well as participating in UKUnCut actions targeting major retailers which practice large scale tax avoidance.
, it is an autonomous body and is open to all socialists (who aren't members of opposing parties) under 27 living in Scotland.
The day to day running of the SSY is the responsibility of the National Organiser, assisted by the National Executive Committee which plays a leadership role. The NEC is elected at the annual National Conference with its membership split equally between men and women. The National Organiser is also elected at the conference. Additionally, SSY has branches across Scotland that conduct activity in their area.
SSY held their tenth annual conference in Glasgow
in July 2011.
SSY also have a self-organised women's group, to which all young women are invited. They first assembled at Camp Secret Squirrel, the SSY summer camp, in 2005 and have continued to meet since.
The aim of the Women's Group is to create a space for young socialist women to talk about the issues that affect them. The Women’s Group feel that, in a male dominated environment, young women can be sidelined and may feel that their opinion is less valid. The SSY Women’s Group aims to give young women confidence in their abilities.
At the SSY Conference 2005, the Women's Group decided that their main campaign would be on sex education, in particular, discouraging and campaigning against abstinence-only education which is currently being funded by the Scottish Executive to run in some state schools. Their campaign 'Fuck Abstinence!', involves giving information on reproductive rights
to young women denied adequate sex education, has led some of the young women involved being sent graphic intimidatory literature by an anti-abortion group.
Youth wing
A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous or independently-allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support and allegiance for that organization's campaigns from members and potential members of a younger age...
of 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....
. They are an anti-capitalist, anti-racist and anti-globalisation organisation. SSY stands for the creation of an 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....
, socialist Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
SSY publishes a magazine, Leftfield, with contributions from members and supporters as well as maintaining a blog of the same name. They also have a regular column in the Scottish Socialist Voice
Scottish Socialist Voice
The Scottish Socialist Voice is a Scottish political newspaper, published by the Scottish Socialist Party. Established in November 1996, it was previously the paper of Scottish Militant Labour, before being handed over to the SSP when it was formed in 1998.-History:It was first edited by Alan...
, the fortnightly newspaper of the SSP.
SSY enjoys good links with students in Scotland, particularly through various socialist societies at universities and colleges throughout the country, and has a strong online presence at their regularly updated blog.
They also organise an annual summer camp called 'Camp Secret Squirrel' in August open to all members of the SSY and other interested young people.
Campaigning
SSY have produced a charter outlining their policies, many of which are broadly similar to the SSP's. They hold an annual demo in protest at the current drug laws, initially campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis, now broadened to demand new thinking on approaches to all drugs, prompted by the 2009 banning of mephedrone.They were involved in the campaign against the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
summit at Gleneagles. In June 2007, five members of the SSY were arrested at Faslane as part of the Faslane 365 campaign They were also heavily involved in campaigning for the SSP during the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and in the 2007 Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
and council elections where a number of members stood as SSP candidates.
Currently they are campaigning against low pay for young workers, and are arguing for an £8 per hour minimum wage regardless of age. They have produced workers' rights cards to let young workers know what they are entitled to and how to get it. In November 07, the SSY in conjunction with the SSP LGBT Network organised a protest against Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
after two young gay men were threatened with being thrown off a bus as one had their arm around the other .
The results of the 2010 UK election resulting in a coalition government led by the Tories, has led to the SSY campaigning against the new government and the cuts that they are inflicting. SSY received national media attention recently when they organised a short notice demonstration to coincide with David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's first visit to Scotland as Prime Minister, on 14 May 2010.
Recently, SSY have also been involved in anti-fascist activity in Scotland, notably helping organise mobilisations against the far-right Scottish Defence League in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Kilmarnock as well as participating in UKUnCut actions targeting major retailers which practice large scale tax avoidance.
Internal Democracy
Although the SSY is affiliated to the Scottish Socialist PartyScottish 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....
, it is an autonomous body and is open to all socialists (who aren't members of opposing parties) under 27 living in Scotland.
The day to day running of the SSY is the responsibility of the National Organiser, assisted by the National Executive Committee which plays a leadership role. The NEC is elected at the annual National Conference with its membership split equally between men and women. The National Organiser is also elected at the conference. Additionally, SSY has branches across Scotland that conduct activity in their area.
SSY held their tenth annual conference in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in July 2011.
Women's Group
The aim of the Women's Group is to create a space for young socialist women to talk about the issues that affect them. The Women’s Group feel that, in a male dominated environment, young women can be sidelined and may feel that their opinion is less valid. The SSY Women’s Group aims to give young women confidence in their abilities.
At the SSY Conference 2005, the Women's Group decided that their main campaign would be on sex education, in particular, discouraging and campaigning against abstinence-only education which is currently being funded by the Scottish Executive to run in some state schools. Their campaign 'Fuck Abstinence!', involves giving information on reproductive rights
Reproductive rights
Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:...
to young women denied adequate sex education, has led some of the young women involved being sent graphic intimidatory literature by an anti-abortion group.