Democratic Left Scotland is the continuation in Scotland of Democratic Left, the organisation formed when the Communist Party of Great Britain was dissolved in 1991. DLS was founded in May 1998.
While DLS's sister organisation in England and Wales later renamed itself the New Politics Network and has since merged into the think tank Unlock Democracy, DLS is still active as part of the left. It publishes an occasional magazine, Perspectives.
The organisation's slogan is "There's more to politics than parties", but some of its members do participate in other parties, such as the Scottish Socialist Party and Scottish Green Party, including Mark Ballard, former Green Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothians. Two City of Edinburgh councillors are members of DLS.
Famous quotes containing the words democratic, left and/or scotland:
“We have been educated to such a fine—or dull—point that we are incapable of enjoying something new, something different, until we are first told what it’s all about. We don’t trust our five senses; we rely on our critics and educators, all of whom are failures in the realm of creation. In short, the blind lead the blind. It’s the democratic way.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)
“The power we exert over the future behavior of our children is enormous. Even after they have left home, even after we have left the world, there will always be part of us that will remain with them forever.”
—Neil Kurshan (20th century)
“Four and twenty at her back
And they were a’ clad out in green;
Tho the King of Scotland had been there
The warst o’ them might hae been his Queen.
On we lap and awa we rade
Till we cam to yon bonny ha’
Whare the roof was o’ the beaten gold
And the floor was o’ the cristal a’.”
—Unknown. The Wee Wee Man (l. 21–28)