RMT disaffiliates from Scottish Socialist Party

The RMT transport union has cut links with the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) following its highly public schism with co-founder Tommy Sheridan. Sheridan has left the SSP and founded a new party, Solidarity.

The union in Scotland had provided thousands of pounds of support to the SSP and was expelled by the Labour Party in 2004 for its links with the Scottish party.

Following consultation with its Scottish branches, the RMT agreed to disaffiliate from the SSP and that it would not affiliate to Solidarity.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "It is clear that there are elements within the SSP that have destabilised the organisation ... and it is no longer in our members' interests to remain affiliated."