Aims and Principles of The Scottish Socialist Freedom Group

From the SSFG website

Aims and Principles of the The Scottish Socialist Freedom Group

The SSFG is an organisation of revolutionary class struggle that will result in an Independent Socialist Republic of Scotland. We aim for the abolition of the United Kingdom, all hierarchy, and work for the creation of a world-wide classless society.

Capitalism is based on the exploitation of the working class by the ruling class. But inequality and exploitation are also expressed in terms of race, gender, religion, sexuality, health, ability and age, and in these ways one section of the working class oppresses another. This divides us which benefits the ruling class.

We believe that fighting racism and sexism is as important as other aspects of the class struggle. A Republic of Scotland cannot be achieved while sexism and racism still exist. In order to be effective in their struggle against their oppression both within society and within the working class, women, lesbians and gays, and black people may at times need to organise independently. However, this should be as working class people as cross-class movements hide real class differences and achieve little for them. Full emancipation cannot be achieved without the abolition of capitalism and this cannot be done without the destruction of its founder, the United Kingdom.

As well as exploiting and oppressing the majority of people, Capitalism threatens the world through war and the destruction of the environment.

It is not possible to abolish Capitalism without a revolution, which will arise out of class conflict. The ruling class must be completely overthrown to achieve true Scottish Independence and freedom. Because the ruling class will not relinquish power without their use of armed force, this revolution will be a time of violence as well as liberation.

Unions by their very nature cannot become vehicles for the revolutionary transformation of society. They have to be accepted by capitalism in order to function and so cannot play a part in its overthrow. Trades unions divide the working class (between employed and unemployed, trade and craft, skilled and unskilled, etc). Even syndicalist unions are constrained by the fundamental nature of unionism. The unions have to be able to control its membership in order to make deals with management. Their aim, through negotiation, is to achieve a fairer form of exploitation of the workforce. The interests of leaders and representatives will always be different from ours. The boss class is our enemy, and while we must fight for better conditions from it, we have to realise that reforms we may achieve today may be taken away tomorrow. Our ultimate aim must be the complete abolition of wage slavery. Working within the unions can never achieve this.

Genuine liberation can only come about through the revolutionary self activity of the working class on a mass scale. A Socialist Scotland means not only co-operation between equals, but active involvement in the shaping and creating of that society during and after the revolution As Scottish Republicans we organise in all areas of life to try to advance the revolutionary process. We believe a strong organisation is necessary to help us to this end. Unlike other so-called socialists we do not want power or control for our organisation. We recognise that the revolution can only be carried out directly by the working class. However, the revolution must be preceded by organisations able to convince people of the Socialist Republican alternative and method. We participate in struggle as Scottish Republicans. We reject sectarianism and work for a united revolutionary Scottish Freedom movement.

The Declaration of the Scottish Republic

To the people of Scotland: Scotland, through us, strikes for her freedom. We declare the right of the people of Scotland to the ownership of Scotland, and to the control of Scottish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished. In every generation the Scottish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty, they have asserted it both in arms and through political institutions. Standing on that right, we hereby proclaim the Scottish Republic as a Sovereign Socialist Independenct State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and its place among the Independent nations of the World.

The Scottish Republic is entitled to the allegiance of every Scot. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, oblivious to the differences carefully fostered by a foreign government, which have divided us in the past and present.

We place the cause of the Scottish Republic under the protection of the sovereignty of the Scottish people, and we demand that all those who serve the cause honour it with dignity. In this supreme hour the Scottish nation must sacrifice themselves for the common good, proving itself worthy of the destiny to which it is called.


Signed by

The Scottish Socialist Freedom Group