The Alliance to Liberate Scotland has launched an appeal to traditional Labour supporters across Scotland, arguing that the party has abandoned its historic commitment to Scottish self government and calling on voters to back independence instead.
The organisation says many Labour supporters feel increasingly disconnected from a party that once championed Scottish Home Rule and wider constitutional change, pointing to figures such as Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, Keir Hardie and James Maxton as examples of a political tradition that linked social justice with Scottish self determination.
According to the Alliance, support for Scottish self government was once seen by many Labour pioneers as an essential part of improving the lives of working people and giving communities greater control over decisions affecting their future.
The group argues that these debates were never simply constitutional questions but were closely tied to issues including poverty, land ownership, economic opportunity and democratic accountability.
In a statement released this week, the Alliance said modern Labour had moved away from those principles and become increasingly committed to preserving the existing Westminster system rather than pursuing greater powers for Scotland.
A spokesperson for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland said:
“Many lifelong Labour supporters feel the same disillusionment.
“They remember the values of fairness, community and empowerment that first drew them to the cause.
“Those values live on, but they can no longer be realised within a party that has chosen Westminster loyalty over Scottish self determination.”
The Alliance believes Scottish independence remains the most effective route to achieving the economic and political changes it wants to see and argues that greater control over Scotland’s resources and decision making powers would allow future governments to pursue different priorities from those set at Westminster.
The organisation’s appeal is aimed particularly at Labour supporters, trade union members and socialists who remain committed to the principles of self government and social justice.
The intervention comes at a time when debate continues over the future direction of Scotland’s independence movement and the role of Scotland’s political parties in shaping the country’s constitutional future.
Whether the Alliance can successfully attract significant numbers of Labour supporters remains to be seen, but its message is clear.
It believes Scotland’s historic labour movement and the cause of Scottish self determination were once closely linked, and it is seeking to rebuild that connection as part of its campaign for independence.
