Fife Socialist League facts for kids

The Fife Socialist League (FSL) was a small political group in Fife, Scotland. It existed from 1957 to 1964. The FSL was linked to a wider movement called the British New Left. This group wanted new ways of thinking about socialism. From 1960 to 1962, the FSL even had its own magazine, called The Socialist.

A writer named Willie Thompson said the FSL was special. It was the only group in the New Left that had many working-class people involved.

The Story of the Fife Socialist League

How the FSL Started

The idea for the FSL started in 1956. Some members of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) in Fife were unhappy. Fife was a strong area for the Communist Party, especially in coal mining towns.

The FSL officially began in February 1957. Its main founder was Lawrence Daly. He had worked for the Communist Party before. Daly was also active in the miners' trade union. He said the FSL would "study, teach, and spread ideas." It would do this without the rules of the Labour or Communist parties.

Early Elections

The FSL first tried to win elections in 1958. Lawrence Daly ran for county councillor in Ballingry. He won with 1,085 votes. The Labour candidate got 525 votes, and the Communist candidate got 197 votes. Daly had lost in this area twice before as a Communist candidate.

This success made the party want to do more. They decided to run in the 1959 general election. Daly ran for the West Fife area. This area had elected a Communist MP, Willie Gallacher, from 1935 to 1950.

Daly came in third place with 4,886 votes (10.7%). He beat the Communist candidate, William Lauchlan, who got 3,828 votes (8.4%).

Supporting the FSL Campaign

Some people from the New Reasoner magazine helped Daly's election campaign. This was a bit unusual. The magazine's leaders usually supported the Labour Party.

One of them, John Saville, explained why they helped Daly. He said West Fife had special conditions. These conditions made them support a candidate against both Labour and the Communist Party. But he also said they still worked for Labour in their own areas.

The Socialist Magazine and New Ideas

In February 1960, the FSL started its own monthly magazine. It was called The Socialist. People from outside the party could write for it. This included people like Jean McCrindle and students from the nearby University of St Andrews.

A month later, the FSL shared its main ideas. They supported "unilateralism" (getting rid of nuclear weapons alone). They also supported "public ownership" (when the government owns industries). Other ideas included "industrial democracy" (workers having more say) and "self-government for Scotland" (Scotland making its own decisions).

The End of the FSL

Over the next two years, the FSL became less active. The last issue of The Socialist magazine came out in May 1962. By 1964, the FSL decided to close down.

Its members joined the Labour Party. They did this to help unite the left and win the next general election. Lawrence Daly and another FSL councillor, George MacDonald, later became Labour councillors.