| Willie Duncan is standing in the General Election as a Solidarity-Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate. He talks to the DGS about this election and discusses the question of left unity
DGS: Tell us about your background in politics? Willie: “In 2001, I’d just turned 18 and there was a General Election coming up so I felt that I should take more of an active interest in politics and try to find out more about what the parties stood for. |
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I watched some of the politics shows on television and did a little research on the internet and, to be honest, I was fairly unimpressed by most of what I saw. However, I found myself agreeing with the policies being put forward by the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and decided to go along to a couple of their meetings. I joined the SSP shortly after that and I played an active role in three election campaigns. I left the SSP to join Solidarity and stood as a council candidate in Midlothian in 2007 and, obviously, I’ve now been selected as the Solidarity – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for the forthcoming General Election. I might not have the experience of many socialist campaigners but I’ve been involved in socialist politics all of my adult life and I’ve fought plenty ofcommunity campaigns in that time.”
DGS: What made you decide to stand in this election?
Willie:
“My reasons for standing are twofold. Firstly, I have always believed that it’s important that as many people inScotland - and across the UK – as possible have the opportunity to cast their vote for a credible, genuine socialist candidate in elections and I believe that by standing, I am giving that opportunity to voters in Midlothian on May 6th. The people that I have spoken to whilst campaigning are, rightly, angry about the attacks on public services in the community and I hope that our campaign based on defending public services is one that resonates with voters in Midlothian. Secondly, I feel that as a Solidarity member it is important that we don’t allow the party to become too marginalised or allow the party’s name to slip out of the public consciousness. As a party, it’s important to raise our profile whenever we can and an election provides us with a great opportunity to do that. We should be contesting elections and, by standing, I’m pleased that I’m doing my bit to ensure that we are able to do that.”
DGS: What do you think are the key issues in Scotland today?
Willie:
“Irrespective of who wins the election, it is clear that the public sector is going to come under attack. The proposed cuts in public services are going to mean mass job losses and a decline in amenities and services available for people the length and breadth of Scotland. Throughout the election campaign, New Labour and the Tories have been, in essence, arguing over which party is going to make the deepest, most brutal cuts to the public sector. In my opinion, that is absolutely disgraceful. We, as socialists, need to step up to the plate and be at the forefront on the campaign to defend the public sector. I believe that it is a campaign that will run and run and we need to play a huge role in that campaign.”
DGS: From our inception the DGS has tried to be non-party political. What do you think of our calls for left unity in Scotland?
Willie:
“I think that most sensible people on the left would acknowledge Tony Benn’s famous saying that at present, there are too many socialist parties and not enough socialists. Left unity is, unquestionably, the way forward for the socialist movement in Scotland and I think that the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is an early attempt to bring forces on the left together. Personally speaking, I was extremely disappointed that the SSP did not take part in TUSC and it’s a travesty that, once again, in some parts of the country, there will be two socialist candidates, with virtually identical manifestos, competing against each other. That could and should have been avoided but, unfortunately, it seems that some people are still willing to put personalities before policies and squabbles before socialist unity.”
DGS: What do you see as the future of the left following the election?
Willie:
“I hope that TUSC will be able to achieve a respectable vote in the election and that it will serve as a springboard for socialists across Scotland to acknowledge that there is a need to get back around the table and look at working together again. I know that for many people, that will be very difficult to achieve and I completely understand why people will feel that way. However, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. Around 130,000 people voted for an overtly socialist programme in 2003 and those voters have not gone away. The challenge now for socialists is to try to re-engage those people. I believe that it can be done but not while the left remains divided.”