Edinburgh Evening News


THE family of the late Leith MP Ron Brown are to stage a "colourful and lively" farewell to the maverick politician.
Mourners will sing the Red Flag at a humanist ceremony at Warriston Crematorium tomorrow to pay respects to the former Labour government whip.
Trainspotting publisher Kevin Williamson, who discovered Irvine Welsh, will read one of his poems and Scottish Socialist Party leader Colin Fox MSP will pay tribute.
The family of Mr Brown, who represented Leith at Westminster from 1979 to 1992, said they wanted the ceremony to be as colourful as the man himself.
The readings are expected to include anecdotes about Mr Brown rollercoaster career which regularly saw him hitting the headlines.
Despite a promising start to his political career, he is probably best remembered for grabbing and dropping the House of Commons mace as he protested against the Poll Tax, and being on friendly terms with Colonel Gaddafi of Libya.
After the funeral service, mourners will be invited to the Botanics, where one of his passions New Orleans jazz will be celebrated in a performance by the band Criterion.
Instead of flowers donations are to be invited to the Retired Greyhound Trust, a cause close to Mr Brown's heart.
His own greyhound, Big Mac, who had previously raced under the name Sir Rochester, was his constant companion for many years.
About 200 people are expected to pack the chapel tomorrow, at 1pm, with more likely to be waiting outside.
Mr Brown's son Gavin, 38, a gas engineer from Leith, said: "It will be a lively service with a number of people giving readings and telling jokes.
"Kevin Williamson will be reading one of his own pieces.
"He was involved in the political movement with my dad, who enjoyed creativity and was supportive of anyone who was creative.
"Colin Fox will also say a few words.
"The ceremony is going to be a flavour of my dad's life, which was a colourful thing.
"It's not going to be dour - it's going to be sad and painful, but we'll have a few laughs. It will be a knees-up to celebrate his life."
Tributes have flooded in for Mr Brown, who was described as a popular and hard-working MP, following his death from liver disease at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary last Friday.
Mr Fox, for whose Scottish Socialist Party Mr Brown unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in 1999, described his comrade as "utterly irrepressible".
He said: "He was a friend as well as a comrade and I will be paying tribute to the fact that Ron Brown changed the world.
"Ron had a wicked sense of humour and he thought nothing of telling a few fibs.
"He lied about his age and his height - he used to wear wedges in his shoes.
"He had mischief in his eyes and it was terrific to be in his company because he had hundreds of stories. He was utterly irrepressible.
"Ron Brown was Mr Leith, he was a Leither. He loved the people of Leith and he had his feet firmly planted in Leith Walk, in Great Junction Street, and in West Pilton where he came from."

The Herald

Scottish Socialists yesterday claimed universal free public transport would transform both the environment and lives of the less well-off as they launched their election manifesto.

They cited measures taken by the city of San Francisco to argue that bus, rail and ferry fares for pedestrians and cyclists should be scrapped.

Party leader Colin Fox launched the manifesto at Hampden stadium in Glasgow along with colleague Alan McCombes and some of the party's leading candidates.

They claimed to be ahead of former SSP leader Tommy Sheridan's breakaway Solidarity party in the polls, with Mr Fox saying the SSP was targeting the return of eight MSPs at the election.

The party's transport plans would cost around £1bn according to Mr McCombes - twice the estimate put on the policy by the LibDems transport spokesman, Tavish Scott.

But the SSP says this would be less than one-third of Scotland's contribution to defence spending and a quarter of the combined cost of road congestion, accidents and repairs.

Mr Fox added that it was part of their plans to address global warming. "We've come up with a way that will persuade people to keep their car at home. It's a better alternative than what we have just now.

"I think it's to our immense credit that we've come forward with a proposal which isn't hitting people with a big stick about using the car. It's free, integrated, reliable transport right across Scotland, that's the centrepiece of our election manifesto."

The party claims that San Francisco had announced similar proposals recently in a move to tackle climate change.

Scottish Socialist Party plans:

JUSTICE
Free heroin on prescription to registered addicts, under controlled conditions.

ECONOMY
National minimum wage of £8 an hour for all public sector workers. Confiscation of assets of multi-nationals which switch production to low-wage economies.

TRANSPORT
Universal free public transport to help both the poor and the environment. Scrap all planned major road projects.

EDUCATION
Maximum class sizes of 20, no school closures, restoration of student grants.

ENVIRONMENT
Carbon rationing covering the use of gas, electricity, petrol and air flights.

HEALTH
Reversal of all PFI projects and a ban on NHS consultants doing private work. Free school meals and prescriptions.

GOVERNMENT
Back a referendum inside one year to create an independent, nuclear-free, multi-cultural Scotland.

Labels: election07, freepublictransport

Edinburgh Evening News

SCOTTISH Socialists launched their election manifesto today, with free public transport top of a list of 450 detailed policies.

And the party claimed it was on course to win a list seat in each of the eight regions of Scotland

The manifesto, entitled People Not Profit, was produced using the latest "Wiki" technology from contributions by party members with specialist knowledge in different policy areas before being approved by an SSP conference in March.

Party leader Colin Fox said:

"We've distributed over 300,000 election newspapers door-to-door, held scores of public meetings across Scotland and spoke to tens of thousands of people on the streets and doorsteps.

"Our call for free public transport, independence and wealth redistribution is going down a storm.

"Polls put the SSP within striking distance of winning a seat in all eight regions and our manifesto is an unashamed socialist programme that would make a massive difference to millions of Scots, not the millionaires that the other parties are attempting to woo.

"You won't find any big businesses backing the SSP."

Labels: colinfox, election07, ssp

Sunday Mail

CHARLOTTE'S PARLY BID AT 18

TEENAGER Charlotte Cameron is Scotland's youngest-ever parliamentary candidate.

On May 3, while most 18-year-olds are swotting for exams or planning a night out, Charlotte will stand as a Scottish Socialist Party candidate.

Last night, Charlotte, a vegan who doesn't own a TV, said: "I'm just a normal teenager. I do normal teenage things. I like music and cinema and going to the pub."

Brought up in Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, and now living in Maryhill, Glasgow, Charlotte is a candidate for the south of Scotland. This election will be the first time that 18-year-olds can stand for parliament.

She said: "I want to see young people represented. Older people can talk the talk but they can't really relate to the issues that the younger generation are facing."

Labels: elections, ssp

Extract from the Dumbarton & vale of Leven Reporter 21 February 2007:

Shock & Anger: Villagers Defend Suspended Councillor

Disgust and disbelief were the reactions of constituents reeling from the news of a councillor’s suspension. SSP councillor Jim Bollan was handed a six month ban from the Standards Commission for Scotland after a hearing ruled that he acted in a threatening and intimidating way towards a care worker during a six month sit-in at Alexandria’s Leven Cottage care home.
Cllr Bollan denied the claims, stating he was acting to protect the interests of pensioner Annie Cardiff, who had asked him to serve as her advocate. Hours after the verdict, the Reporter’s Kirsteen Paterson visited Renton to ask people for their reaction.

Pensioner Minnie McDonald regualarly spots Cllr Bollan when she stops at the Carman Centre for tea & a chat. Minnie who plays bingo at Leven Cottage with Annie Cardiff & Robert Toole twice a week was stunned by the news. She said: “ That’s ridiculous. Ive been in Renton nearly all my days and he is a good person. The Cordale Avenue woman, who supported the sit-in added. “ I’ve heard about the things he is supposed to have done and I think what has been done to him is harsh. He is a fabulous councillor and I’ve never heard anyone around here say anything against him.”

Jim Liddle thinks the move is inexplicable and says he cant believe the allegations made against Cllr Bollan. The sixty year old who lives in Dumbarton but makes frequent trips to the village said: Jim doesn’t carry on like that, he’s one of the best. I remember way back when he used to work in Dumbarton and they sent him out to Renton to work. He is cool headed, this doesn’t sound like something he would do.” He added: “ A six month ban is too much. They shouldn’t do that its just not fair.”

Voluntary worker Rosemary Brennan blasted the ban. The 63 year old told the Reporter thst she believes Cllr Bollan’s testimony. She said: “This is a disgrace. Ask Jim to do anything for you and he will. He talks to everybody and has time for them. This is terrible. He is very truthful and at that time no-one should have spoken to Annie without him. She needs to have someone with her. I would stand by Jim to the end. Most people would.”

Community activist Archie Thomson also supports the censured politician. But the Renton man said that the suspension was a done deal. He said: “ I was not surprised by the ban or the term. You don’t get fair trials in these situations. Jim was forced into action he shouldn’t be involved in by bureaucrats who wanted to sell people’s home from under them. He was standing up for his constituents when the council was trying to rob them. Faceless bureaucrats from Edinburgh who come here to pontificate do nothing for democracy.”

For more info access Bollan's Blog at http://www.jimbollan.blogspot.com

Labels: jimbollan, ssp

Morning Star, 20/02/07

SCOTTISH Socialist MSPs Rosie Kane and Frances Curran boarded the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise on Monday as it sailed from Greenock to Faslane as part of the "Trident - we don't buy it" campaign.
Both MSPs are veteran anti-nuclear campaigners and are strongly opposed to new Labour's plans to renew Britain's nuclear missiles based on the Clyde.
Both were arrested at the Faslane nuclear base last month during a peaceful protest against the plans.
"We are pleased to join the Greenpeace protest which adds to the mushrooming opposition to Blair's nuclear weapons madness," the MSPs said in a statement.
"We need more homes, free school meals, free public transport and an end to privatisation - not more spending on war and nuclear missiles.
"It's time to get the missiles out of the Clyde and end our involvement with Britain's weapons of mass destruction."
The Arctic Sunrise trip is part of a week of national protest building up to the massive Stop the War demonstrations in London and Glasgow on Saturday.

(More on this in Colin Fox MSP's Blog)

Labels: francescurran, rosiekane, trident