Moray

A socialist vision for peace, economic justice, and sustainable community resilience

Highlands and Islands Region

From Weapons to Ploughshares

Moray presents a unique opportunity to build a socialist future that transitions from military dependency to peace-based prosperity. While recognising RAF Lossiemouth as a major employer, we advocate for a planned, just transition that protects workers while building sustainable peace industries. Our approach balances immediate economic security with long-term vision for a demilitarised economy.

Just Transition

Converting military skills to peace industries with guaranteed workers' rights

Whisky Heritage

Protecting and evolving the Scotch whisky industry with workers' control

Peace Infrastructure

Transport and digital connectivity serving sustainable community development

Our Socialist Vision

A Moray campaign must balance immediate economic realities with long-term socialist principles. While RAF Lossiemouth provides crucial employment today, we advocate for a planned transition to peace industries that protects workers' rights and builds community resilience. Our focus is on whisky industry support, delivering the A96 dualling, and managing growth pressures—all while developing concrete plans to convert military dependency into sustainable peace economy with democratic workers' control.

Economic Justice & Just Transition

Protecting workers while building sustainable peace industries through democratic planning and community control.

Workers' Guarantees

Protecting all RAF Lossiemouth workers with job guarantees, retraining, and union rights during transition

Whisky Industry Democracy

Supporting global trade while advancing workers' control and community benefit in distilleries

Regenerative Agriculture

Fair farming subsidies, land reform, and sustainable food production with workers' cooperatives

Peaceful Energy Transition

Retraining military workers for offshore renewables and decommissioning with community ownership

Turning Weapons into Ploughshares

As socialists opposed to militarism, we propose concrete plans to convert RAF Lossiemouth's assets and workers' skills to peaceful purposes. This is not about immediate closure but about democratic planning for transition that:

  • Guarantees all workers employment at equal or better terms
  • Converts military infrastructure to civilian use (research facilities, emergency response training, renewable energy)
  • Retrains skilled personnel for peace industries (aviation maintenance for civilian sector, engineering for renewables)
  • Develops community-controlled alternative industries before military wind-down
  • Ensures housing and services built for military families remain available for community needs

We reject both militarism and economic shock therapy. Our socialist approach provides security through transition, not insecurity through abrupt change.

Key Challenges & Socialist Solutions

1

From Military Base to Peace Industry

A Socialist Transition Strategy

  • Workers First Transition: RAF Lossiemouth is currently the largest single-site employer in Moray. Our socialist approach guarantees all workers' jobs, wages, and pensions during a planned transition to peace industries. We oppose both militarism and economic abandonment of workers.
  • Skills Conversion Program: Developing concrete plans to convert military skills to civilian applications:
    Aviation to Civilian: Aircraft maintenance skills transferred to civilian aviation, emergency services, and renewable energy sectors
    Infrastructure Repurposing: Military facilities converted to research centers, training academies, and community assets
    Strategic Planning: Democratic workers' committees to design transition timelines and new industry development
  • Housing & Community Assets: The infrastructure built for service personnel represents community assets. Socialist planning ensures these resources serve broader community needs through social housing, community facilities, and public services.
2

Whisky Industry & Workers' Control

  • The "Whisky Coast" with Socialist Values: Moray is the heart of the Scotch whisky industry. We support the industry while advancing workers' democracy:
    Workers' Cooperatives: Promoting employee ownership models in distilleries and supply chains
    Community Benefit Agreements: Ensuring profits fund local services, housing, and infrastructure
    Sustainable Production: Transitioning to renewable energy and circular economy practices
  • Just Transition from Oil & Gas: Supporting the skilled workforce connected to North Sea industries with retraining for offshore renewables and decommissioning, ensuring union representation throughout.

The A96 Test: Peace Infrastructure

A candidate's position on the A96 dualling is a major shorthand for their commitment to local infrastructure. Socialist support for this critical project is essential for Moray's economic future beyond military dependency.

The commitment to dual the road between Inverness and Aberdeen is a major political test. Our socialist approach ensures community consultation, environmental protection, local employment, and serves as peace infrastructure connecting communities rather than military logistics.

3

Peace Infrastructure & Connectivity

  • The A96 Dualling as Peace Corridor: This long-standing demand represents socialist commitment to public infrastructure that serves community development, sustainable tourism, and economic diversification beyond military dependency.
  • Rail Services for People: Improving rail services on the Aberdeen-Inverness line to better connect Moray to economic hubs with affordable, reliable public transport serving community needs.
  • Digital Commons: Ensuring reliable digital connectivity for rural areas as a public good supporting remote work, education, and community organizing.
4

Regenerative Agriculture & Land Justice

  • Farming for Community Needs: Supporting Moray's agricultural base through fair subsidies, addressing labour shortages, and challenging supermarket power with cooperative supply chains.
  • Rural Sustainability & Depopulation: Fighting rural depopulation through socialist investment in services, community-led housing, and economic diversification that provides alternatives to military employment.

"Two Capitals" Peace Advocacy

Moray feels overlooked by both Holyrood and Westminster. Our socialist MP/MSP fights for fair funding and attention, highlighting the need to invest in peace industries rather than military expansion.

Holyrood Peace Agenda

Fighting for Moray's fair share: A96 dualling, NHS funding, education, whisky support, and transition planning from military to peace economy

Westminster Peace Conversion

Championing defence conversion funding, trade justice for whisky, broadband investment, and agricultural subsidies in UK Parliament

Our Socialist Campaign Strategy

How we will fight for Moray with anti-militarist socialist solutions:

Planned Peace Transition

Concrete plans to convert military economy to peace industries with workers' guarantees, not sudden closures. Democratic transition planning with full union involvement.

Pass the "A96 Peace Test"

Unwavering socialist commitment to delivering the A96 dualling as peace infrastructure connecting communities and supporting diversified economy.

Workers' Control & Community Power

Moray votes for local champions. Our socialist campaign puts workers' control and community decision-making above corporate or military interests.

"Two Capitals" Peace Fighter

Challenging both parliaments for peace conversion funding, highlighting contrast between military spending and community investment needs.

Practical Transition Focus

Substantive plans addressing workers' concerns about transition, delivering tangible peace industry alternatives with socialist economic planning.

A Socialist Peace Future for Moray

Our campaign offers a visionary yet practical socialist transition from military dependency to peace-based prosperity, protecting workers while building sustainable community resilience.

Peace Transition

Guaranteed workers' rights during conversion from military to civilian economy

Democratic Whisky Industry

Workers' control and community benefit in global industry with local roots

Peace Infrastructure

A96 dualling and connectivity serving community development needs

Regional Peace Justice

Fighting for Moray's fair share of peace conversion funding from both capitals

Together, we can build a Moray where economic security comes from peace industries not war preparations, where infrastructure connects communities not military bases, and where socialist principles ensure that prosperity benefits all workers and communities through democratic control of our economic future.