Campaign for Socialism

CfS was originally established in 1994 to campaign against the removal of Clause IV from the Labour Party's constitution.{{cite news|url=http://reidfoundation.org/2013/07/scottish-labour-left-attacks-london-interference-in-falkirk-selection-process/|title=Scottish Labour Left attacks London interference in Falkirk Selection Process|date=4 July 2013|publisher=The Jimmy Reid Foundation|accessdate=6 March 2017}} By 2012, it was one of the only remaining ideological-based groupings in the party {{mdash}} but Gerry Hassan and Eric Shaw, writing that year, claimed that CfS "has few members, little organisational presence and has had a negligible influence on the direction of the party".{{cite book|title=The Strange Death of Labour Scotland|page=259|last1=Hassan|first1=Gerry|last2=Shaw|first2=Eric|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2012|isbn=9780748655571}}

CfS played a key role in organising Neil Findlay and Katy Clark's leadership bid in the 2014 Scottish Labour leadership election. Though unsuccessful, CfS claims the campaign "built the foundations for Jeremy [Corbyn]'s campaign just a few months later" by "giving many new, young volunteers experience and a network of contacts across the country that would help quickly mobilise an effective campaign".{{cite news|url=http://www.scottishleftreview.org/article/how-the-contest-was-won/|title=How the contest was won|first1=Martyn|last1=Cook|first2=Tommy|last2=Kane|date=November 2015|accessdate=6 March 2017|publisher=Scottish Left Review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306210836/http://www.scottishleftreview.org/article/how-the-contest-was-won/|archive-date=6 March 2017|url-status=dead}}

In 2016, Scottish Labour Young Socialists {{mdash}} founded in 2015{{cite web|url=https://youngsocialists.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/something-different-something-subversive/|title="Something Different, Something Subversive".|publisher=Young Socialists|date=13 August 2015|accessdate=6 March 2017}} {{mdash}} became CfS's official youth wing.{{cite news|url=http://www.workersliberty.org/node/26297|title=Campaign for Socialism AGM discusses way forward|date=18 February 2016|accessdate=6 March 2017|publisher=Workers' Liberty}}

In 2017, five CfS members won seats on the Scottish Labour Party's national executive.{{citation|url=http://www.campaignforsocialism.org.uk/contact|title=Executive Committee|accessdate=2020-09-03}} They called for the then Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, to pursue a socialist agenda and work more closely with Jeremy Corbyn's team.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15134386.Dugdale_loyalists_lost_out_in_Labour_internal_elections_over_bungled_campaign_approach/|title=Dugdale loyalists lost out in Labour internal elections over bungled campaign approach|last=Hutcheon|first=Paul|date=5 March 2017|accessdate=6 March 2017|work=Sunday Herald}}

CfS endorsed{{Cite news|url=http://www.campaignforsocialism.org.uk/press-releases/2017/9/13/cfs-supports-richard-leonard-for-scottish-labour-leader|title=CfS Supports Richard Leonard for Scottish Labour Leader|work=Campaign for Socialism|access-date=2018-11-26|language=en-US}} Richard Leonard to be the next leader of Scottish Labour following the resignation of Kezia Dugdale in August 2017. Leonard went on to win the leadership with 56.7% of the vote.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/18/richard-leonard-voted-scottish-labour-leader|title=Richard Leonard wins Scottish Labour leadership in decisive victory|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=18 November 2017|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=26 November 2018}}

In the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election the CfS endorsed Monica Lennon to be the next leader of Scottish Labour following Richard Leonard's resignation in January 2021.{{cite tweet |user= LabourCfS |author= Campaign for Socialism |number= 1359057447776710660 |title= Ballot emails arrive today. They will be sent from ‘Scottish Labour Party’ (labourelections@civica.co.uk) and the subject will be Scottish Labour Party – Scottish Labour Leadership. #Monica4Leader}} She lost the election to Anas Sarwar, gaining 42.4% of the vote to his 57.6%.{{cite news |date= 27 February 2021 |title= Anas Sarwar wins Scottish Labour leadership race |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56221768 |work= BBC News |access-date= 1 March 2021}}

Notable members of CfS include: former Convenors Elaine Smith MSP and Neil Findlay MSP, former MPs Danielle Rowley and Hugh Gaffney (2017–2019), and Baroness Pauline Bryan.

• Katy Clark MSP
• Carol Mochan MSP
• Paul Sweeney MSP
• Mercedes Villalba MSP

• Brian Leishman MP

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.campaignforsocialism.org.uk/}}

{{Scottish Labour Party}}

Category:1994 establishments in Scotland

Category:Democratic socialism

Category:Social democracy

Category:Organisations associated with the Labour Party (UK)

Category:Political party factions in Scotland

Category:Scottish Labour

Category:Socialist organisations in the United Kingdom