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| Poverty Alliance 'Scotland Demands Better' Demo, 25 Oct '25 |
The recent Scotland Demands Better demonstration through Edinburgh was an impressive display of the potential forces who now need to be united in further action against the plagues of poverty, poor provision of public services, and the paucity of decent jobs which curse Scotland.
Called by the Poverty Alliance, which has about 280 affiliated groups and campaigns, the thousands who marched included big contingents from several trade unions and a wide array of community-based groups, housing campaigners, third sector organisations, church groups, anti-racists and socialists.
Unions such as the EIS, Unison, FBU and RMT were well represented, alongside UNITE members from Grangemouth, and smaller contingents from others under the umbrella of the STUC -which was the other main sponsoring organisation of the event.
The Scottish Socialist Party was the most prominent political party on the march, spelling out the case for making Scotland better through taxation of the super-rich and other measures of radical socialist change, all warmly received by most of those demonstrating.
A glimpse of our potential
The organisers claim there were 5,000 in attendance. Whilst being a very positive, encouraging mobilisation of mostly working-class people, demanding action from governments north and south of the border, the demo was a mere glimpse of the potential forces that could now be brought into action, if given decisive leadership by the STUC and their allies in community groups.
The next morning after the march and rally, I received an email - like other active supporters of the demonstration - with the reassurance that “the movement doesn’t stop here.” Nor should it!
What next?
Workers, their families and communities of all ages, creeds, colours and countries of birth are crying out for better jobs; better wages; better social services; better housing; better public transport, education and health provision; in a nutshell, a Scotland which puts its people before the profiteers.
The SSP is eager and ready to play our part alongside thousands of others, through our trade unions, in communities, colleges, and in the streets, to build on the success of the 25th of October mobilisation.
The STUC embraces nearly 600,000 trade union members in its affiliates. That makes it by far the biggest civic organisation in Scotland, and combined with workers’ families, represents a huge potential force for change.
Young people facing savage education cuts, precarious jobs, and climate catastrophe born of capitalist profiteering, could vastly expand the numbers that could be mobilised - given decisive leadership and a vision of a decent, dignified future.
To the workplaces, colleges and communities!
Urgent action plans need to be drawn up, involving those energised and encouraged by the colourful march through Edinburgh, to take hard-hitting demands for a better Scotland - very concrete demands - into the wider population.
Written material should be produced for use in every possible workplace and college, and for door-to-door leafleting in communities.
Workplace meetings and systematic public meetings in towns and districts could help to build for further major events, hammering home the message that there is no excuse for poverty pay, fuel poverty, the unprecedented NHS crisis, savage cuts to education, or rip-off rents, homelessness and shoddy housing in this fabulously rich nation.
Events to target for action
Some key events loom which could potentially be turned into days of coordinated action and demonstrations. Days to target governments with relentless demands to redistribute wealth through progressive taxation and public ownership, to put money in the pay packets and postcodes of the working class.
On 26 November, the Westminster Labour government is poised to punish millions of people in their budget as they continue their mission to look after the millionaires. The Poverty Alliance and STUC should consider either a series of city centre and town centre protests, or even a mass demonstration targeting the UK government building in Edinburgh.
Demand No Cuts Defiance budgets
Preparations should also be made for when the Scottish government sets its budget, probably in January, with workplace meetings and rallies to test out the appetite for coordinated strike action against the much-touted threat of up to £1billion in cuts. One concrete measure that would overnight eliminate all excuses for cuts to jobs, services or working conditions – well within the powers of the devolved Scottish government – would be to abolish the Council Tax and replace it with the SSP’s progressive, income-based Scottish Service Tax, to double tax income for councils whilst leaving 75% of people paying less.
Likewise, councillors should be bombarded with demands to set ‘No Cuts’ budgets in defiance of central government austerity, to then build an even bigger version of 25 October demanding back some of our stolen £5billion – the sum Westminster has robbed off Scottish budgets in the past 10 years.
Drive back the racist far right
One of the biggest challenges to the entire trade union and working-class movement is to combat the poisons from Reform UK - and outright fascist grouplets and racist agitators - who are busy inciting vicious divisions in working-class communities, scapegoating and intimidating asylum seekers, refugees and people of colour generally.
They do this to consciously avoid targeting those responsible for poor housing, collapsing services and the scourge of poverty - the tax-dodging super-rich, profiteering energy and transport companies, and supermarkets, propped up by governments who put profit before people.
Call demos for jobs, homes and services in towns like Falkirk
We need to honestly square up to the fact that when a racist minority channelled the entirely justified anger of local people at their impoverished conditions into ugly demonstrations at the likes of the Cladhan hotel in Falkirk, the national leadership of the trade union movement did precious little beyond press releases. They have not yet taken up the demand the SSP and other local people made to seriously mobilise a united demonstration in the town for better jobs, services and against racist divisions in the working class. But that is precisely what is needed, and urgently so.
Go round doorsteps and workplaces
As part of the ongoing Scotland Demands Better Campaign, serious consideration should be given to calling a demonstration through the likes of Falkirk. With concrete demands on saving and creating jobs, vastly expanding local services (including for women and children), and investment in the renovation and construction of high quality, affordable council housing.
Our movement needs to go in behind the shrinking minority who turn out to scream abuse at asylum seekers - misled by a handful of racist and fascist individuals - and campaign round the doors, community centres and workplaces of such neighbourhoods with fighting slogans for change that can inspire unity in action.
Concrete demands for a better Scotland
The SSP is proud to unite and campaign alongside those who marched through Edinburgh.
We believe better wages require a united movement demanding a minimum £15-an-hour for all aged 16+, not just the far too modest Poverty Alliance/Scotland Demands Better Campaign call for £12.60-an-hour for those aged 18+.
Better jobs could be created by battling for a 4-day, 30-hour maximum working week, on 5 days’ pay. At least 350,000 new, green, sustainable jobs could be created in a Socialist Green New Deal, based on public ownership of energy, transport, construction and banking. To provide 100,000 new, eco-friendly council houses at affordable rent, free public transport for all to combat poverty and pollution, and an urgent worker-led transition to green energy production.
For a socialist Scotland
Working-class people in Scotland deserve and demand better. With unity in action, events to mobilise towards, and concrete fighting slogans to redistribute wealth from the rich to the rest of us, our collective power can indeed turn the tide. We can challenge deprivation and the racist divisions incited by the far right, fuelled by the failures of incumbent governments who have simply bowed down to the dictatorship over our lives by capitalist robbers.
Demand a better Scotland, a socialist Scotland!
First written for and published in the Scottish Socialist Voice, 27 October 2025
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