CORRECTION TO SSP CONFERENCE RELEASE:

Please note that the Conference will take place this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday 22 & 23 FEBRUARY, not March!!

SHERIDAN SLAMS FOOD CZAR OVER MACDONALDS GAFFE

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan today attacked food czar Gillian Kynoch’s attempt to serve healthier meals.

He said,
“It is ironic that at a time when people are beginning to desert MacDonald’s, our so-called food czar attempts to rescue their falling profits by getting them to serve salads. If this is how she thinks she will improve Scotland’s diet, it’s time she was sacked. She obviously hasn’t read Eric Schlosser’s great book, Fast Food Nation which shows how junk food has ruined the eating habits of the Americans, turned them into the most obese nation in the world and is now poised to do the same in Britain if we don’t stop the industry in their tracks.”

Dr David Player, former Chief Executive of the Health Education Board Scotland, who advised Tommy Sheridan on his Free School Meals Bill, said,
“This is a grotesque gesture from a flawed food czar. Scotland’s diet will not be turned around by this pathetic move. Instead of encouraging people to go to fast food joints, we should be changing Scottish culture to a high quality, slow food culture. As on the question of the war, we have much to learn from the French here. MacDonald’s have failed in France and Italy and we should celebrate their decline, not attempt to revive it.”

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

SSP PREPARES FOR POWER!

The Scottish Socialist Party are preparing for their conference this weekend in Glasgow on a high with hundreds of new members joining on the back of the anti-war movement.

Tommy Sheridan said,
“In the last two weeks over 200 new members have joined the SSP, taking our membership to well over 3,000. We are the fastest growing political party in Scotland. Four years ago we had 300 members and got 2% of the vote. Now we have over 75 branches across Scotland and over 3,000 members. We are the only party in Scotland to produce a weekly newspaper, the Socialist Voice, whose sales are soaring on the back of the anti-war movement. Many of our new recruits are Labour Party members who have torn up their Labour Party cards in disgust over Blair’s support for the war.
Our conference at the weekend will adopt the most radical manifesto to be presented by any party in Scotland. The latest opinion polls predict we will win 6 – 8 seats in the new Scottish Parliament. The SSP could after May 1st hold the balance of power in the Parliament. My message to the conference will also echo the old call of our Presiding Officer David Steel: ‘Prepare for power’. But this time it could come true.”

SSP CONFERENCE
MITCHELL THEATRE, CHARING CROSS, GLASGOW, 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 22 & 23 MARCH
(SHERIDAN TO SPEAK 11 A.M. SATURDAY)

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

The Caithness Courier - Precinct protest as anti-war message spreads to Thurso

The Scottish Socialist Party’s Highlands and Islands contingent in Glasgow included members from Thurso, Wick, Helmsdale, Brora, Alness, Dingwall, Ullapool, Inverness, Forres and Nairn. The Caithness Courier

dailyrecord - £63M BID TO GIVE PRIMARY PUPILS A GOOD DIET Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan, who last year mounted an unsuccessful attempt to legislate for free school meals for all children, dismissed the Executive move as too little, too late.

He said: "Only a free, universal and nutritionally balanced meal at lunchtime for all school pupils will begin to turn Scotland's diet around." Daily Record

Opposition adds a sour note to fruit scheme

Tommy Sheridan, Scottish Socialist Party MSP, who last year mounted an unsuccessful attempt for free meals for all children at state schools, dismissed the executive move as too little, too late.

"Isn't this a universal provision - and isn't that what New Labour objected to?" he said.

"Their other attempts to limit the kids to burger and chips or pizza twice a week is a joke. Only a free, universal and nutritionally-balanced meal at lunchtime for all school pupils will begin to turn Scotland's diet around," said Mr Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow region.

"These are only guidelines which are not enforceable by law." The Herald

SSP Candidates for the Regional Lists

The SSP website now has a full list of all party candidates for the regional lists, for the Scottish Parliamentary elections on May 1st. We will be adding details of first-past-the-post candidates and council candidates together with biographies of photographs, soon.

SHERIDAN SLAMS HEALTHY EATING INITIATIVE AS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan today dismissed the Scottish Executive’s latest Healthy Eating initiative as too little and too late.

He said,

“Since they voted against my Free School Meals Bill last year, we have had a flurry of healthy eating initiatives, no doubt with an eye to the upcoming election. Now we have Cathy Jamieson giving Primary one and two pupils fruit three times a week. Great, but why only P1s and P2s and why only three times a week? Glasgow City Council gives fruit to all kids every day and that is what all Scotland’s schools should have.

But hold on, isn’t this a universalistic provision? And isn’t that what New Labour objected to? Their other attempts to limit the kids to burgers and chips or pizza twice a week is a joke. Only a free, universal and nutritionally balanced meal at lunchtime for all school pupils will begin to turn Scotland’s diet around. The other problem with the Executive’s big idea is that schools won’t be forced to serve healthy food. These are only guidelines, which are not enforceable by law.

The Scottish Socialist Party will be making this a major part of their election campaign and will reintroduce the Free School Meals Bill as an urgent priority after May 1st.”
[ends]
For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647

SHERIDAN STEPS UP ATTACK ON WAR

Scottish Socialist Party Convenor and MSP, Tommy Sheridan today stepped up the pressure in the campaign against the war.

He tabled an amendment to John Swinney’s motion on the war to make it clear that we should not support a war even if there is a second UN resolution. He also tabled a motion criticising the Glasgow Police and has written to the Chief Constable asking him to withdraw his estimate of only 30,000 on the march.

Tommy Sheridan said,

“The campaign against this war must continue. Tony Blair is in retreat after the huge turnouts on the peace marches. We must not be allowed to go to war on the back of him and his friend George Bush bribing, bullying and threatening the UN into accepting a second resolution. Unlike all other parties, we say no to war even if the UN approves it.

I have also written to the Chief Constable of Glasgow asking him to withdraw his ludicrous estimate of 30,000 on the march on Saturday. Everyone else in Glasgow that day estimates 80-100,00. What is wrong with our police? Can’t they count or do they have a political agenda?”[ends]
For more information, contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 0131 348 5631/07713 063647

McConnell defends Blair over Iraq

His remarks came as the Tommy Sheridan's Scottish Socialists claimed the war issue was "breaking up" Labour in Scotland. After the weekend march in which Labour MPs and MSPs joined protests outside their own party's conference, Mr Sheridan claimed such unprecedented events marked "the beginning of the end for Labour in Scotland".

Hugh Kerr, SSP spokesman, said disillusioned Labour members were joining the socialists. "We got 100 recruits at the Glasgow march alone," he said. "I don't know how many came from Labour but I guess there must have been at least a few. Our membership has gone up by at least a couple of hundred since this talk of war began."

A senior Labour activist in Fife told The Herald he and others in the party were on the brink of leaving. He said. "I just need someone to give me the final push - the war, if it comes without UN backing, will be that moment. I seem to have more in common with Tommy Sheridan these days than with Labour and I have been a Labour member for many years." The Herald

Feb 15th Anti-War demo, Glasgow

Click on the above link for pictures of the February 15th Anti-War demo in Glasgow.

More pictures can be found at
this site

100,000 March in Glasgow



Check back tomorrow for more pictures and updates.