RISE – Scotland's Left Alliance
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RISE – Scotland's Left Alliance
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| Founded | August 29, 2015 |
| Ideology |
Anti-capitalism Eco-socialism Scottish independence Scottish republicanism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Colours | Red, white |
| Scottish Parliament |
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| Local government in Scotland |
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| Website | |
| www |
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RISE – Scotland's Left Alliance is a left-wing electoral alliance created ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament general election. The name is a contrived acronym standing for Respect, Independence, Socialism and Environmentalism.
The alliance was formally established at a conference in Glasgow on 29 August 2015. The Scottish Socialist Party affiliated to the alliance for the 2016 election, in which RISE fielded candidates on the regional list in all electoral regions, but none were elected.
Shortly after the Scottish independence referendum, the Scottish Left Project was launched online in October 2014 as a "grassroots forum for left-wing ideas and talent". Its website contained an "opening statement" signed by 22 activists, which others on the left were encouraged to sign.
The initial signatories included members of the International Socialist Group, a splinter from the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) whose figureheads, Cat Boyd and Jonathon Shafi, emerged as the SLP's principal spokespersons, and some members of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP). The statement called for a "co-ordinated socialist challenge" in the 2016 elections and included commitments to "crowdsource policies" and hold "a citizens' audit of the debt that is imprisoning our national finances".
The SSP later joined negotiations to create an electoral alliance with other participants in the Scottish Left Project. Former MSP Frances Curran was among prominent SSP members arguing for participation in the proposed alliance, while Allan Grogan and Liam McLaughlan, who became prominent over the course of the referendum campaign, were among 38 members who signed an open letter arguing against the move, stating that there "are no shortcuts to building a strong left-wing opposition".
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