A grass roots organisation set up in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s election as UK leader, which has caused panic among Labour MPs, is launching in Scotland.
Momentum is seen by some centrist members as a far-left front which can be used to oust those opposed to the people currently in charge of the party.
It is now due to officially start up in Scotland on November 21 with an event in Glasgow but, crucially for those concerned moderates, is open to non-Labour members.
The official websitefor the meeting says: “At this launch event for Momentum in Scotland, Labour Party members and Corbyn supporters will discuss how this organisation will be taken forward and what campaigns will be supported.”
The group, which emerged from the official campaign to have Mr Corbyn elected as Labour leader, has already seen an Edinburgh branch start operating.
It comes just weeks after hard-left candidates seized control of a key body that will help write Scottish Labour’s next general election manifesto.
Four of the five members elected to the party’s National Policy Forum (NPF) belong to the Campaign for Socialism, which was heavily involved in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership bid.
The ballot of members saw Scottish Labour’s chairman, Perthshire-based Jamie Glackin, fail in his bid to get elected to the key body.
There is a separate body that will help write next year’s Holyrood manifesto, but the members elected this week will join the 200-strong UK-wide body that will focus on the next UK general election.
The ranking system for Labour is fixed to alternate between male and female candidates, and constituency MSPs many of whom are expected to be defeated in an SNP landslide are allowed to also stand on the list.
Sources highlight the Glasgow list battle as a “bloodbath”, with former MP Anas Sarwar and former council leader Gordon Matheson both expected to fight sitting MSPs such as James Kelly and Paul Martin for a top slot.
It is thought that a well-backed socialist candidate could scupper the election prospects of the moderates battling for support.