Why Scottish TUSC is Pushing for One Socialist Candidate per Seat in Glasgow for the General Election.

• Chris Sermanni to stand in Glasgow North East

In the Scottish TUSC statement announcing our general election candidates on May 10 we said:

“We are aware that other left and socialist parties are or may be planning to stand in the general election. TUSC is an umbrella coalition open to all who want to see the building of a real alternative for working-class communities, including socialist organisations.

As we have always done, we will seek to avoid any clashes in local constituencies. We hope to meet and discuss with other groups looking to stand candidates to avoid more than one socialist candidate per constituency. This could also help to maximise the number of left and socialist candidates in other seats as well.”

Subsequent to our public announcement we later became aware that the SSP were intending to stand in Rutherglen – a seat we had selected Chris Sermanni to contest.

Chris lives in the Rutherglen constituency and has a profile as a trade union leader that clearly, in our view, makes him the ideal candidate to lead a socialist challenge in the constituency while making the case for the building of a new trade union-led mass workers' party. The SSP do not accept this rationale.

Nevertheless, because this is a general election where all seats are being contested, and in order to avoid a clash of candidates, Scottish TUSC is proposing to stand Chris - who is branch secretary of the 13,000 strong Glasgow City UNISON branch - in the Glasgow North East seat.

We would also take this opportunity to appeal to the Workers Party of Great Britain candidate in Glasgow South to meet with Scottish TUSC to avoid a clash in that constituency.

Our candidate, Brian Smith, has a long tradition of standing in that seat and has an unparalleled record as a trade union fighter in the city and is clearly the ideal socialist representative to stand in Glasgow South.

We again invite socialist organisations planning to stand in the general election to attend the Scottish TUSC conference on Saturday June 1st in Glasgow at 1pm in the Renfield Centre.

We continue to invite socialist organisations who are standing in the elections, including the SSP, Workers Party of Great Britain, CPB and others to participate in Scottish TUSC as part of the steering committee.