{{Short description|Scottish Marxist activist and bank robber}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use British English|date=October 2017}} '''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. Convicted of bank robbery in 1972, he served the longest ever sentence in Scottish legal history for robbery despite not committing bodily harm, serving 11 years of a 24-year sentence in HM Prison Edinburgh.<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012">{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/obituaries/13045491.Matt_Lygate/ |title=Obituaries: Matt Lygate |work=The Herald |date=24 January 2012 |accessdate=20 September 2015}}</ref> He is noted for his strong anti-revisionist stance and adoption of Maoism in the 1960s.<ref name="WorkLib 25Jan2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/01/25/matt-lygate-passing-scottish-leftist |title=Matt Lygate: the passing of a Scottish leftist |publisher=www.workersliberty.org |date=25 January 2012 |accessdate=20 September 2015}}</ref>

==Early life== Lygate was born in Govan, Glasgow and he was educated at St Gerard's Senior Secondary School in Glasgow, leaving aged fifteen.<ref name="Herald theorist 21Mar1972">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S-U9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4075%2C3929949 |title=Political theorist who turned bank robber |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=3 |date=21 March 1972 |accessdate=13 July 2016}}</ref> His family moved to Sunderland as a teenager. At a young age he joined the CPGB. When called for National Service, Lygate refused to join the British Army because he considered it "imperialist" and fled to New Zealand.<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/> He spent six years in New Zealand and visited some other countries before his return to Scotland.<ref name="Herald 20Sep1983">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j_U9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=CUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3025%2C3976566 |title=Lygate still the wee political man |first=Andrew |last=McCallum |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=9 |date=20 September 1983|accessdate=24 December 2017}}</ref>

==Return To UK== Upon return to the UK, Lygate became active in the Scottish and Irish republican movements. He was also a leading socialist, and in 1967 founded the Workers Party of Scotland, and was a founding member of the John Maclean Society. 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".<ref name="WorkLib 25Jan2012"/> Lygate supported Scottish home-rule and advocated to socialism in Scotland in tradition with John Maclean and the Red Clydeside. The WPS grew slowly and mimicked similar far-left groups that were sprouting across Europe in the 1960s. The WPS supported the revival of Gaelic and published works of Mao Tsetung in Gaelic.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GJJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5289%2C5196946 |title=Nothing certain about Gorbals by-election result |work=Glasgow Herald |date=28 October 1969 |page=12 |accessdate=5 November 2016}}</ref> Lygate contested numerous by-elections, however, firmly believed that socialism could only be established through revolution. He and the WPS defended the actions of the Army of the Provisional Government, often referred to as the "Tartan Terrorists".

==Bank Robbery== Lygate knew that the party was short of funds, stunting its growth. In 1971, along with 3 others (William "Bill" McPherson, Colin Lawson and Ian Doran), Lygate robbed two banks, netting the party £14,000. However, McPherson and Doran committed two more robberies on their own; it was then that a shotgun was fired and gave police a lead, eventually leading to the arrest of the four.<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/>

==In Court== Lygate appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, with the trial lasting eleven days.<ref name="Herald sentenced 21Mar1972">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S-U9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2169%2C3910246 |title=Glasgow bank robbers given heavy sentences |first=James |last=Murphy |date=21 March 1972 |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=1 |accessdate=13 July 2016}}</ref> On the tenth day of the trial, Lygate dismissed his counsel.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SeU9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5646%2C3513990 |title=Counsel dismissed in Glasgow bank raid case |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=18 March 1972 |page=3 |accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty, arguing that he robbed capitalist institutions who had robbed the working-class, and that his case was a matter of the working-class versus the state. He made an infamous long speech about capitalism's violence against the working man, however was sentenced to 24 years in HM Prison Edinburgh. He was sentenced on 20 March 1972.<ref name="Herald sentenced 21Mar1972"/> Upon being sentenced in the public gallery Lygate clenched his fist and shouted, "Long live the workers of Scotland!".<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/> The sentence given to him was on par with the Great Train Robbers and some of the worst IRA convicts.<ref name="Herald 17Sep1983">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jfU9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=CUkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4173%2C3517178 |title=The crime and punishment of Matt Legate |first=James |last=Freeman |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=7 |date=17 September 1983|accessdate=13 July 2016}}</ref> Many criticisms of his sentence would arise arguing that it was politically motivated. A lawyer commented later on Lygate's case that he was given 8 years for robbery and 16 for politics.<ref name="Herald 20Sep1983"/>

==Prison== In prison Lygate still agitated the Crown, refusing to wear his prison uniform and spent time on hunger strike. He devoted much of his time to teaching his fellow inmates how to read, write and paint. He wrote many poems and sent portraits done by him to families of inmates. He protested for prisoners rights and set-up numerous organizations for prisoners' rights. He also spent some time reading and taking a course in sociology.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H8JAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=96UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6578%2C3018952 |title=By-election issue of the forgotten man |first=Tom |last=Shields |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=9 |date=16 November 1982| accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> During Lygate's imprisonment his father died.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5PE9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6UgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3868%2C3900163 |title=Legate hopes for parole |first=Andrew |last=McCallum |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=1 |date=24 January 1983 |accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> More than five years of his term was spent as a category A high risk prisoner.<ref name="Herald 20Sep1983"/> The Scottish Republican Socialist Party (SRSM) used the Queen's Park by-election to protest for the release of Lygate in 1982.<ref name="GH 22Aug1983">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w8FAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=66UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1711%2C4250352 |title=Begin the revolution |first=Tom |last=Shields |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=22 August 1982 |page=8| accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> Siol Nan Gaidheal also supported his release.<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/><ref name="scottishrepublicansocialistmovement.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishrepublicansocialistmovement.org/Pages/SRSMArticlesTheCrimeandPunishmentofMattLygate.aspx |title=SRSM Articles - the Crime and Punishment of Matt Lygate |accessdate=2014-05-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120233626/http://www.scottishrepublicansocialistmovement.org/Pages/SRSMArticlesTheCrimeandPunishmentofMattLygate.aspx |archivedate=20 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> On 19 September 1983, after serving 11 years of his sentence, Lygate was released on parole.<ref name="GH 22Aug1983"/>

==After Prison== After prison, the WPS became active again and its membership grew. Lygate and the WPS participated in anti-Poll Tax demonstrations across the UK and actively organised the working class. Lygate founded the small bookshop 'Phoenix Press', it was during this time he meet his partner, Linda, and had 3 children.<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/> Lygate claimed, "I am not a Trotskyist... I am a Marxist-Leninist and an anarchist in the true sense."<ref name="WorkLib 25Jan2012"/> According to a report of one conference which he attended in November 1983: "As befits a conference attended by such veteran anti-imperialist supporters of the Asian socialist countries as Comrade Matt Lygate, delegates repeatedly stressed the vanguard role of the Asian communist tradition and the teachings of the great leaders Comrade Mao Zedong and Comrade Kim Il Sung. A reception was held in a warm atmosphere overflowing with proletarian internationalism, at which the delegates joined together in singing revolutionary songs including the ‘Song of General Kim Il Sung’, ‘Scots wha hae’, ‘the Soldier’s Song’ and ‘the Internationale’."<ref name="WorkLib 25Jan2012"/> Lygate was nominated to become Rector of Glasgow University,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xfU9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=C0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6921%2C4895412 |title=Lygate is candidate for rector |work=The Glasgow Herald |page=4 |date=25 October 1983 |accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Lvs9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3222%2C689722 |title=Lygate says he will stand for Parliament |first= Iain |last=Wilson |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=4 November 1983 |page=3 |accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> Lygate was the first of the six candidates to be knocked out.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8MBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2qUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5902%2C1000444 |title=Victory for Kelly in rectorial poll |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=6 March 1984 |page=1 |accessdate=25 July 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.revolutionaryhistory.co.uk/obituaries/obituaries/matt-lygate-1938-2012.htm |title=Matt Lygate (1938-2012) - Revolutionary History |accessdate=2014-05-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140601071603/http://www.revolutionaryhistory.co.uk/obituaries/obituaries/matt-lygate-1938-2012.htm |archivedate=1 June 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Lygate claimed to be an early driving force of the anti-poll tax movement, however his health worsened. Finally in the late 1990s he was forced out of politics completely due to ill health.

==Death== In latter life, Lygate suffered from Alzheimer's disease which deteriorated his short-term memory. It was noted that even in the final stages of the disease he could still recite poems by Robert Burns. He died on 20 January 2012,<ref name="Herald 24Jan2012"/> having been hit by a train.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://stv.tv/news/west-central/293610-convicted-bank-robber-and-marxist-party-founder-killed-by-train/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170304035516/https://stv.tv/news/west-central/293610-convicted-bank-robber-and-marxist-party-founder-killed-by-train/| archive-date = 2017-03-04| title = Convicted bank robber and Marxist party founder killed by train}} </ref>

{{Quote|text=In struggle, man can use his mind, And know himself the better, With courage bold he'll battle on And free himself from fetter.|sign=Matt Lygate}}

==See also== *John MacLean *Vladimir Lenin *Scottish Republicanism

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13045491.Matt_Lygate/ Herald Scotland obituary] * [http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/01/25/matt-lygate-passing-scottish-leftist AWL obituary]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lygate, Matt}} Category:1938 births Category:2012 deaths Category:People from Govan Category:Scottish communists Category:Scottish prisoners and detainees Category:Communist Party of Great Britain members