Tommy Sheridan was the leader of the Scottish anti-poll tax movement, during which he was given a six month prison sentence for defying a court order banning him from attending the first attempted warrant sale (the sale of a non-payer’s property in the street). While in jail, he stood for Scottish Militant Labour (SML) in the 1992 general election, achieving 6287 votes and coming second to Labour. In the local elections a month later, while still in jail, he was elected to the Glasgow council – the first of a few SML local election successes.

SML and others launched the Scottish Socialist Alliance (SSA). The SML leadership’s later proposal to turn the SSA into a party, the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), was opposed by the British leadership (known as the Socialist Party in England and Wales) and international leadership (the CWI). However, they had overwhelming support in Scotland (as well as in France under Murray Smith, who is now a leader of the LCR) and launched the SSP against the CWI’s wishes.

The SSP had six members of the Scottish parliament until two of them, Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne, together with the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and CWI Scotland, launched Solidarity: Scotland’s Socialist Movement as a split-off from the SSP in September 2006, after Tommy's defamation trial victory.

I, Steve Wallis, have set up the Revolutionary Platform of Solidarity as a virtual organisation to try to unite all revolutionary socialists within Solidarity who want revolutionary views reflected in the party. It is linked to other similar platforms via the Revolutionary Platform Network.

Non-members of Solidarity are welcome to join this group.

For my views on the SSP split, read the first message of the group.