FRIENDS OF THE REFUGEES AYRSHIRE
Burns Day Rally
Dungavel Detention Centre (Lanarkshire)
SUNDAY JANUARY 26 2003 AT 1.30PM

The Friends of the Refugees Ayrshire hope you can attend and bring your banners. This Rally is to show solidarity with the Asylum Seekers detained within Dungavel.

The format will be informal with the singing of some Burns Songs, hopefully one or two speakers and we intend to hand in some sweets and shortbread for the Asylum Seekers.

Please try and spare an hour or two to support this event and please note that assembly for the Rally is at 1.00pm in the car parking area just down from the centre.

Executive gives sigh of relief over Iraq

Tommy Sheridan, the Scottish Socialist party leader, claimed the US was preparing for war on Iraq but not on North Korea, because the former controlled huge oil fields.

Advocating civil disobedience in the event of war, he said President Bush claimed those who opposed the US, supported terrorism. "We are neither on the side of the individual terrorist nor on the side of state terrorism. We are on the side of peace," he insisted. The Herald

PRESS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH SSP'S FIVE KEY ELECTION PLEDGES

The press is invited to attend a press conference on
Sunday 19 January, 12 noon
Glasgow City Chambers (room booked by T Sheridan)
plus
photocall for SSP's likely new MSPs

On Sunday the Scottish Socialist Party will launch its five key pledges for the election. It will also launch a pre-election bulletin, which is being distributed to a million homes across Scotland.

There will also be a chance to meet and take pictures of some of the SSP top of the list candidates, including some of the women candidates who will be joining Tommy Sheridan in the Scottish Parliament after 1 May 2003.

For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Holyrood has its say on Iraq

A final amendment is being moved by Tommy Sheridan for the Scottish Socialist Party.

He said there was no moral, humanitarian or military reason to go to war with Iraq.

'No overt rebellion'

Mr Sheridan said: "War is being prepared for regardless of whether weapons of mass destruction are discovered or not.

"The reason North Korea is being treated differently from Iraq is because North Korea does not have oil."

The Green MSP Robin Harper has signed Tommy Sheridan's amendment. BBC Online

BBC NEWS | Scotland | UK hurtling towards war - Swinney

Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan told MSPs it would be "a nonsense" if the Scottish Parliament did not discuss the current situation,

He said: "It is important that we discuss whether or not we think unleashing a new hell on the people of Iraq is right or wrong, just or unjust, legal or illegal, moral or immoral." BBC Online

SHERIDAN COUNTERS NEW LABOUR SPIN ON COUNCIL TAX


Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan today condemned New Labour’s spin doctors who were attempting to blame him for people not paying their council tax. New Labour claimed that Tommy, through his campaign for non-payment of the poll tax had encouraged a culture of non-payment which had spread to the council tax.

Tommy Sheridan said,
“This is nonsense and a typical New Labour smear. Of course I led the anti-Poll Tax Campaign while Labour councils actively implemented it and sent people to prison for non-payment. The council tax although better than the poll tax is still a very unfair system. Indeed, it is much more unfair than the old rates system. The real reason why people don’t pay their council tax is they can’t afford to, as it is a disproportionately heavy burden on poor people.

The Scottish Socialist Party has developed in the Scottish Service Tax a fair redistributive mechanism, which would put the burden of paying for local services on people who can afford to pay for it and would be much cheaper and easier to collect.

We shall be presenting this alternative at the election. However, we don’t rule out in the future a campaign of mass non-payment of the council tax. Then the Labour spin doctors might have a point, but for now they are merely trying to cover up their own failures.”

For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647

MSPs back Chhokars for inquiry into son's killing

Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialists, said the family were "absolutely clear" about wanting a public inquiry even though two private inquiries reported in 2001.

"I think the family were hoping the committee would ask the executive to reconsider its position and that's what I think we should do," he said. The Herald

PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ALL-OUT OPPOSITION TO WAR

A new amendment (text enclosed) has been submitted to the SNP motion on the coming war against Iraq due to be debated on Thursday morning.

The motion calls for all-out opposition to the war, even if approved by the UN. It also calls for MSPs to take part in acts of civil disobedience against the war. It is tabled in the name of Tommy Sheridan, Scottish Socialist MSP but is backed by John McAllion, Robin Harper, Dennis Canavan and Dorothy Grace Elder, and others are expected to follow.

Tommy Sheridan said,
“The Parliament must make clear its unequivocal opposition to the war. We know that the US can bully and bribe other nations on the Security Council to support war, as we have seen in the past. I also want MSPs to stand up and be counted on a personal basis. This war can be avoided if we campaign strongly up to and including the world demonstrations on 15 February. The Scottish Parliament can give a lead on Thursday – let’s make it a clear lead.”
~ ~ ~

For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647

Amendment: Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): As an amendment to motion SIM-03760 in the name of Mr John Swinney (The current international situation),
leave out from second “believes” to end and insert:
“considers the Iraq inspections should be the first stage in comprehensive investigations of weapons of mass destruction possessed and being pursued by states throughout the world, including the USA, UK, Israel, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Russia and any others who must be persuaded to allow full and comprehensive assessments of nuclear, chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction, with a view of pursuing genuine and all-encompassing disarmament of such weapons throughout the world; believes that there is no moral, humanitarian or military reason to go to war with Iraq whether or not the UN gives its approval, and therefore calls on all MSPs to oppose the coming war by all means possible including civil disobedience.”

Healthy diet will make Scotland more prosperous, says McConnell

Tommy Sheridan, the Scottish Socialist MSP, accused the first minister of "yet more empty rhetoric".

Mr Sheridan, whose Free School Meals Bill was defeated in the Scottish Parliament last year, said: "This 'initiative' is far too little, given the size of the dietary health problem, and is yet more empty rhetoric.

"The first minister says he is determined the next generation of Scots will be healthier, yet he ignored the pleas of anti-poverty groups, children's charities, lone parent organisations and the British Medical Association when he rejected the Free School Meals Bill. Words won't improve our children's health. Action will." The Herald

SSP Member Jailed

Louise Robertson (Dumbarton SSP) was sent to Corntonvale on Friday 10
January for 14 days. It was for non-payment of fine for blockading Faslane.

messages of support should be sent to:
Louise Robertson
Younger Hall
HMP Corntonvale
Stirling

New Herald Poll

The poll offers the prospect of an advance by Tommy Sheridan's Scottish Socialists, who would win five seats on these findings while the Scottish Greens would take two. Dennis Canavan, the only independent MSP in 1999, would also be returned.