Scottish Socialist Party (1987)

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The Scottish Socialist Party was a small political party operating in Scotland. They were primarily a left-wing breakaway from the Scottish National Party (SNP) although they succeeded in recruiting a number of Labour Party members also, including the former Labour Group leader in Edinburgh council, Alex Wood. The party was established in 1987, shortly after the general election held that year.

They favoured the establishment of a Scottish socialist republic, independent of the United Kingdom.

They contested only one parliamentary seat, Glasgow Central at the by-election there in 1989 where they polled only a few votes before folding the following year. Many of their members subsequently returned to the SNP, including their candidate in the Glasgow Central by-election, Bill Kidd.

They published a regular magazine, Socialist Scotland and had links with the Welsh socialist party, Cymru Goch.

This party was in no way related to the Scottish Socialist Party established in 1998, although there are remarkable similarities between their policy programmes.