Scotsman.com News - Opinion - Why talking up youth of today will win votes Scottish Socialist MSP Rosie Kane was ridiculed earlier this year when she called for the term "ned" to be outlawed as degrading and hurtful - but many young people do feel alienated by such language and suspect politicians are too ready to tar them all with the same brush.

Rosie Kane MSP was on BBC's Question Time last night. You can still see the programme via the Question Time Website here.

What's a socialist doing in Parliament? Australian speaking tour by Colin Fox, Scottish Socialist Party MSP

MELBOURNE: Socialist Ideas Conference 2003: Resisting the empire. Featuring Scottish Socialist Party MSP (2pm) & Marxist historian Humphrey McQueen. Sat Nov 15, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts. Ph 03 9639 8622.

HOBART: What's a socialist doing in parliament? Public meeting featuring Colin Fox, Scottish Socialist Party parliamentarian. Mon Nov 17, 7pm. Resistance Centre, 225 Murray St, city. Ph Alex 03 6234 6397, 0413 976 638.

BRISBANE: Tuesday 18 Nov 6.30pm Brisbane activist centre. 74b Wickham St, Fortitude Valley. Ph 07 3831 2644

CANBERRA: What's a socialist doing in parliament? Speaking tour with Colin Fox, Scottish Socialist Party MP. Wed Nov 19, 6pm. Studio Rm, Griffin Centre, Bunda St, Civic. $5/$3. Organised by Socialist Alliance. Ph 02 6247 2424, 02 6247 0568.

SYDNEY: Scottish Socialist Party MSP Colin Fox speaks! Socialist Alliance forum. Thurs Nov 20, 6.30pm. Gaelic Club, 64 Devonshire St, Surry Hills. $8/$5. Ph Paul 0410 629 088 or 02 9690 1977.

New Zealand

PALMERSTON NORTH Sunday 23 November, 5pm Te Manawa, Main Street, Palmerston North

DUNEDIN Monday 24th November, 7pm 97 Motel Conference Room 97 Moray Place Dunedin

CHRISTCHURCH Tuesday 25th November Details to be confirmed

AUCKLAND Thursday 27th November Details to be confirmed

WELLINGTON Saturday 29th November Wellington Bridge Club 17 Tinakori Road Thorndon Time to be confirmed

The Scottish Socialist party's justice spokesman, Colin Fox, said:
"Another Scottish Executive announcement, another privatised service.
"Cathy Jamieson is continuing the failed privatisation policies in relation to the justice system that have seen real problems arising in other areas of the public sector.
"The Scottish Socialist Party remains completely opposed to the privatisation of public services and resources."

The Scottish Socialist Party said it is backing the firefighters in their unofficial industrial action.
BBC News Story
SSP leader Tommy Sheridan has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling on the Executive to intervene in the dispute.
Mr Sheridan claims fire crews have been "shafted" by their employers' failure to deliver a promised pay rise and is urging ministers to make sure the firefighters get their money.

The Scottish Socialist Party today backed the work to rule by firefighters in Scotland outraged over the employers failure to deliver their pay rise.
SSP convenor Tommy Sheridan said;
“The firefighters have our full support.
They were shafted on their original deal by Prescott and now they have been shafted again by the employers failure to pay up.
"We will table a motion in the Scottish Parliament demanding the Executive intervenes to make sure they get their money”

Motion
This Parliament offers full support to Scotlands firefighters who are being denied their full pay settlement. It calls on the Scottish Executive to intervene with COSLA to secure this rise.
Tommy Sheridan

Alliance New Zealand Read all about Lothians MSP Colin Fox's trip to the left-wing Alliance Party in New Zealand where he will speak on the experience of the SSP, bringing together the left and building the forces of socialism. Colin will also visit the Aoteora Social Forum and attend meetings of socialists in Australia including the conference of the New South Wales region of the Socialist Alliance.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Firefighters stage wildcat action

Firefighters have followed the example of postal workers in launching wildcat strikes, defying undemocratic anti-union laws.

The Herald: Campaigners trying to ease the plight of asylum seekers

CAMPAIGNERS looking to ease the plight of asylum seekers and prevent families with children being held at Dungavel immigration centre yesterday met for a summit at the Scottish Parliament.The Scottish Socialist party group booked the main committee room for the meeting attended by immigration groups, church representatives and several families who are currently bailed out of Dungavel and live with supporters.Rosie Kane, the MSP who has one such family living in her home, said the problem was that a small number of activists had become so heavily involved in the plight of the growing numbers of such families that they were being overwhelmed.She said a wider network of volunteers, activists and helpers had to be built up. Yesterday's meeting had been arranged at very short notice and as a result a number of other groups, such as the STUC and several major trade unions, had been unable to attend but said they would be prepared to become involved in the future.Among those present was Graham Blount, the Scottish Churches parliamentary officer, who said: "We were happy to participate because the churches are heavily involved at a general level in this issue and share many of the concerns of others, so we are looking to develop our role."He pointed to the way the churches had backed the Refugee Scotland Project for community-based hostels as an alternative to Dungavel. Mr Blount said the shared view of those at yesterday's meeting was that a broader network of organisations and individuals had to become involved in assisting asylum seekers to share the burden.

sundaymail - SHERIDAN RAIL BILL BID: TOMMY Sheridan will this week launch a Holyrood bill to renationalise Scotlands railways. The Scottish Socialist Party leader will try to convince MSPs on Tuesday that for safety and environmental reasons it is essential a single Scottish rail company be set up.

The Herald (Glasgow)
October 31, 2003
Letters

Out-of-hours cover

ON October 29 the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill was introduced into the Scottish Parliament which will effectively end out-of-hours cover by GPs in Scotland, to be replaced with whatever measure local health boards are able to come up with. In many cases this will be a telephone helpline offering medical advice or a visit to the already stretched accident and emergency unit of the nearest hospital.
The bill as worded allows local NHS boards to contract with "any person" to provide primary care services. In it defines "any person" as including companies where at least one of the shareholders is a GP or other health professional. This would allow the NHS to contract with private providers to provide primary care services.
The first that many Scots will know of this change in NHS cover will be when phoning a doctor only to be told that there is no longer any obligation on doctors to provide a service to their patients out of surgery hours, or when they notice that private contractors are now providing medical services. Why will there be widespread ignorance of such fundamental changes to the NHS? Because the Scottish media did not see fit to report it.
The Scottish Socialist Party was the only party to seek to amend this bill. Both the SNP and the Scottish Green Party dutifully lined up with the executive and voted for legislation which will be a further nail in the coffin of free medical care delivered at the point of need.

Carolyn Leckie, MSP,
The Scottish Parliament.