SOCIALISTS in Scotland have said that green politics must be anti-capitalist and that they have no faith in the Tories or other political leaders attending Cop26 to resolve the environmental crisis.

Representatives from the Campaign for Socialism (CfS) have set out their stall ahead of next month’s global climate summit in Glasgow, with calls for Labour to back an anti-capitalist response to the environmental crisis. 

The group, which organises for left-wing ideas within Scottish Labour and the movement in Scotland, said that the fight for socialist policies could not be more important. 

In a statement, CfS said: “The staging of Cop26 in Glasgow this November will push debate about the environment to the top of the political agenda in Scotland.

“This will provide an opportunity to promote and win support for socialist green politics, incorporating labour movement direct action in the tradition of trade union green bans and workers’ alternative plans for socially useful production in the tradition of the Lucas Aerospace alternative plan.

“As socialists active in the Labour Party, we believe that green politics must be anti-capitalist in nature and therefore have no confidence in the political leaders attending Cop26 to resolve the environmental crisis.” 

CfS also warned that previous UN climate talks have led to inaction and failure, calling for the labour movement to take inspiration and learn from the direct action campaigning of the environmental movement.

The group continued: “CfS is committed to working with labour movement bodies and campaigns during Cop26 and afterwards in order to highlight the need for a socialist anti-capitalist response to the environmental crisis.

“We likewise commit ourselves to supporting the protests, school student strikes, other strikes, direct action and civil disobedience which will take place during Cop26.”