Scotsman.com News - UK - 'Super union' threat to Blair's policies: TWO of Britain’s biggest unions are considering merging, forming a heavy-weight challenge to Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, as he prepares Labour’s manifesto for the general election.

Tony Woodley, who takes over from Sir Bill Morris as the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers union next week, said he was in favour of joining forces with another major union - most probably the GMB.

Mr Woodley, a leading member of the so-called "awkward squad", also announced a summit of "like-minded unions" to co-ordinate grassroots opposition to "ludicrous and divisive" Labour policies...

...Mr Woodley said that the success of the Scottish Socialists in this year’s Holyrood elections should have rung warning bells across the Labour movement.

"If you analyse what has happened there with the SSP, that’s a real warning shot for Labour.

"People are deserting them by the droves, unlike in Wales who have carried on with a traditional old Labour culture.

"This is a big message for Scotland and for Wales," Mr Woodley said.

Scotsman.com News - Scotland - Jewish asylum seeker avoids deportation: "Last night, Rosie Kane, the Scottish Socialist Party MSP, who has supported the family, said: 'I am delighted they are not to be dragged away to an aeroplane and further traumatised. They have lived previously in the Sighthill area of Glasgow and have no history of wanting or attempting to abscond."

The Scotsman - Politics - Sheridan visits socialist president of Venezuela TOMMY Sheridan is to meet Venezuela’s left-wing president, Hugo Chavez, this week following an invitation from Caracas, the Scottish Socialist Party leader said last night.

Mr Sheridan said he hoped to learn from the experiences of Mr Chavez’s government while visiting the South American state during Holyrood’s recess.

"Hugo Chavez is one of the few socialists in power anywhere in the world and he is attempting to use his power to redistribute wealth and power to the poor," the Glasgow list MSP said.

"I want to learn how a socialist Scotland could use our power to shift wealth and power to working people - Venezuela owns its own oil industry and that is SSP policy."

Letter to the Herald

THE current ScotRail franchise is due to expire on March 31, 2004, and there are at present three preferred bidders, ScotRail (National Express Group), Arriva, and First Group. It is extremely premature, therefore, to talk (October 11) of an extension to the ScotRail franchise when the bidding for the present franchise has not yet even taken place. But the end of this franchise gives the Scottish Executive the chance to actually take rail services in Scotland in a new and radical direction. The present Scottish rail passenger franchise is kept running through a tranche of public money and, as such, must and should be publicly owned. Environmentally, socially, and economically a publicly owned rail system makes sense and is supported by unions, political parties, and passengers alike. The SSP along with the RMT are more than happy to show the executive how to take our railways back into public ownership.

Mary W Spowart, transport researcher, SSP, 73 Robertson Street, Glasgow.