The political impact of immigrants in Scotland

• At first the Irish did not join in with trade union strikes and this had a negative impact on Scottish workers as their strikes were worthless
• However, Many Irish people soon became involved in campaigning for improved working and living conditions and they played a significant role in setting up Trade Unions
• Many of the Irish were also prominent in forming the Labour Party which had a positive impact on Scotland
• John Wheatley was a leading figure in the Red Clydeside era
• He set up the Catholic Socialist Society and became a Minister in the first Labour Government
• Lithuanians joined with the local coal miners and joined the strikes to campaign for better working conditions
• This led to them being accepted by many of their colleagues
• The Irish had an impact on politics as they changed their voting allegiance from Liberals to Labour after the Easter Rising
• Immigrants impacted Scotland as towns and cities grew as people moved from rural areas and abroad to Scotland's 'central belt' looking for factory work
• There was a negative impact on living conditions and created competition for jobs
• Overcrowding in Scotland's cities became a major problem as there was not enough housing available