Scottish National Congress

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The Scottish National Congress was a small Scottish nationalist campaign group, focussed on direct action.

The group was founded in 1950 by Roland Muirhead and supporters including Oliver Brown, who became its first president. [1] Other leading members included Robert B. Wilkie, Archie Lamont, David Murray, Kenneth McLaren and Matthew Somerville. [2]

Although Muirhead was already 82, he was prominent in the Scottish nationalist movement as President of the Scottish National Party, [1] remaining a party member while creating his own opposing organisation. [3] The new group launched its own journal, Forward Scotland, and adopted a socialist perspective, with loose links to the Independent Labour Party, [1] [3] calling for direct action rather than standing in elections. [4] However, Brown resigned in 1954, disapproving of its submission to the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs, [5] and it increasingly came to focus on the question of a Scottish constitution. [1] Other activities included a campaign advocating the purchase of Scottish products. [5]

In 1962, the Congress launched the Scottish Provisional Constituent Assembly, which published a proposed constitution in 1964, shortly before Muirhead's death. [1] The group dissolved shortly after. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 H. J. Hanham, Scottish Nationalism, p.177
  2. ↑ Report of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs, 1952-1954, p.108
  3. 1 2 Christopher Harvie, Scotland and Nationalism, p.122
  4. ↑ James Mitchell, The Scottish National Party: Transition to Power, p.14
  5. 1 2 Archie Lamont, How Scots opposed the peace time call-up, p.23
  6. ↑ Peter Barberis et al, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, p.402


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