United Socialist Movement

The United Socialist Movement was an anarcho-communist political organisation based in Glasgow. It published a journal, The Word.

The group's roots lay in the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation. Guy Aldred, a leading figure in the group, came to believe that Parliamentarianism was essentially dead, and so there was no longer a need for an anti-Parliamentary political formation. In February 1933, he left, with supporters including Ethel MacDonald. In 1934, they linked up with some members of the Independent Labour Party to form the United Socialist Movement. Macdonald represented the movement in Spain during the Spanish Civil War where the communist group POUM were fighting Francisco Franco's fascists with the help of British volunteers.^[1]

Aldred used the support of the group to stand for Parliament on an abstentionist platform, and also to stand for Glasgow City Council. The USM opposed World War II, while trying to build a broad-based opposition. Aldred stood for Glasgow Central in the 1945, 1950 and 1951 general elections, gaining between 1.4 and 1.8% of the vote.

The group was wound up in 1965, a couple of years after Aldred's death.

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Hayes, Mark (2005). The British Communist Left: a contribution to the history of the revolutionary movement 1914-1945. London: International Communist Current. ISBN 1897980116. OCLC 642281773.
• Shipway, Mark (1988). Anti Parliamentary Communism: the movement for workers' councils in Britain, 1917-45. AF-North. London: Macmillan. ISBN 033343613X. OCLC 468642120.
• Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike; Pendry, Helen (2001) [2000]. Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations. London: Pinter. ISBN 0826458149. OCLC 612085150.
• Gray, Daniel (2013). Homage to Caledonia: Scotland and the Spanish Civil War. New York: Luath Press. ISBN 1909912123. OCLC 854521251..