Matthew (Matt) Lygate (26 December 1938 – 10 January 2012) was a Scottish Marxist revolutionary, political activist, tailor, poet, artist and founder of the Workers Party of Scotland.
When called for National Service, Lygate refused to join the British Army because he considered it "imperialist" and fled to New Zealand.
The WPS claimed to be, "based fundamentally upon the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels and the subsequent development of Marxism by Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tsetung, Enver Hoxha and John Maclean".
[2] Lygate supported Scottish home-rule and advocated to socialism in Scotland in tradition with John Maclean and the Red Clydeside.
In 1971, along with 3 others (William "Bill" McPherson, Colin Lawson and Ian Doran), Lygate robbed two banks, netting the party £14,000.
He made an infamous long speech about capitalism's violence against the working man, however was sentenced to 24 years in HM Prison Edinburgh.
[6] Upon being sentenced in the public gallery Lygate clenched his fist and shouted, "Long live the workers of Scotland!".
[4] The Scottish Republican Socialist Party (SRSM) used the Queen's Park by-election to protest for the release of Lygate in 1982.
Lygate and the WPS participated in anti-Poll Tax demonstrations across the UK and actively organised the working class.
[15] He was twice nominated for honorary degrees at Glasgow and Edinburgh University, he rejected both of them believing that they might corrupt him from his working class route.