New leader for Scottish Socialists
Colin Fox has been elected as the new leader of the Scottish Socialist Party.
At the SSP’s annual conference in Perth, Mr Fox was elected as convenor by one hundred votes
The Lothian MSP defeated Alan McCombes, the party’s policy co-ordinator, by 252 to 154 votes.
His election as convener came after long-standing leader Tommy Sheridan stood down for personal reasons.
Speaking at the party’s annual conference, Mr Fox said he would work to ensure that there were no divisions in the party, and to “focus on regaining the confidence of the 130,000 people who voted for us in the 2003 election.”
Though he told delegates that the socialists would not become “a parliamentary party on my watch” he said that the SSP would campaign hard in the general election.
Mr Fox said he would “haunt” New Labour on Iraq and harry the SNP, who he accused of having lost their passion for independence.
Educated in Motherwell, Mr Fox became a Labour Party Young Socialist, before moving on to being one the founder members of the SSP. He also co-organises the Edinburgh May Day Festival and founded the Edinburgh People’s Festival in 2002.
Prior to swearing an oath of allegiance to the Queen on his inauguration into the Scottish Parliament, Mr Fox controversially sang Robert Burns’ egalitarian A Man’s A Man for A’ That, only to be sent to the back of the queue by then presiding officer Sir David Steel.
