Scottish Socialist Party
Press Release: 16/6/04

Scottish Socialists welcome FBU break with Labour

The Scottish Socialist Party today welcomed the Fire Brigades Union’s decision to break its 86 year old link with the Labour Party.
Tommy Sheridan, SSP National Convenor, addressed a Scottish Region FBU meeting at the Southport conference on Tuesday night.
Tommy said today;
“New Labour is no longer the party of the working class and does not deserve trade union financial backing.
“Now that the FBU have followed the path the RMT has taken it is clear that the industrial trade unions have realised that New Labour is no longer the party of the millions but instead represents the millionaires.
“The recent disgraceful treatment of Scotland’s nursery nurses by the Labour Party in Scotland puts pressure on the UK’s largest union UNISON to stop funding the party that kicked its members in the teeth.
“The SSP will welcome with open arms any trade union that wishes to join us in our fight for workers rights and socialism.”
[ends]

Scottish Socialist Party
National Office
70 Stanley Street
Kinning Park
Glasgow G41 1JB

dailyrecord - REVIEW RIDDLE: REVIEW RIDDLE

THE Executive's long-awaited review of local government finance turned into a farce yesterday.

Finance Minister Andy Kerr refused to reveal the names of the review team or how long it will take.

It was called for by the McIntosh Commission on local government in 1999.

Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan said: 'It is clear that the Labour Party in particular don't want this review because it sounds the death knell for the council tax.'

Kerr said: 'The review will be independent and separate from the Executive.'

BBC NEWS Council tax comes under scrutiny: "The Scottish Socialist Party has put forward a member's bill in the Scottish Parliament proposing to replace the council tax with an income-based alternative."

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation: Report by the Scottish Parliament.

SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT SCOTTISH POVERTY IN 2004: SAME CITY DIFFERENT WORLDS.

Daily Record

Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan said: 'New Labour continues to fail Glasgow and its low-income citizens by presiding over a regime of low wages and high council tax which keeps hundreds of thousands in the swamp of poverty.

'A higher minimum wage, and replacement of the unfair council tax with an income-based alternative, will tackle poverty more than any glossy review from the Scottish Executive.' Jim Coleman, depute leader of Glasgow City Council, urged the UK Government to make it easier for people to get off benefits and into jobs.

He said benefits should be 'tapered off', not stopped completely, when people find work.

SSP Regional Vote
Central Scotland	9,125	% Poll 6.27
Glasgow	12,910	% Poll 10.56
Highlands & Islands	4,528	% Poll 4.25
Lothians	8,194	% Poll 4.84
Mid Scotland & Fife	6,140	% Poll 3.92
North East Scotland	5,223	% Poll 3.37
South of Scotland	6,057	% Poll 3.68
West of Scotland	9,179	% Poll 5.84

TOTAL VOTE 61,356 PERCENTAGE OF VOTE 5.21

The Scotsman

The Greens, the Scottish Socialists and UKIP took nearly 21 per cent of the vote and while none of the parties got enough votes to give them a seat, they disrupted the election for the major parties in a big way.

It is the emergence of the smaller parties in this way that marks the real sea-change in Scottish politics.

It was obvious at last year’s Scottish elections, but that was fought under the two-vote proportional representation system and was accepted as part of the package.

What yesterday’s European results showed was that this has now become a feature of other elections, even when the voters only have the one vote.

The Guardian

John Curtice, Scotland's leading electoral expert, said there was little for Labour to be pleased about. "Compared to the utter calamity south of the border, you could regard this as an everyday disaster," he said. "It is still the worst Labour result in Scotland since 1918."

Mr Swinney put a brave face on the SNP's results, arguing that if replicated at a general election, it would take nine seats. "The challenge is to overtake Labour. We remain focussed on that." At the 1999 European elections, the SNP came less than 2% behind Labour, with more than 27%. Professor Curtice said: "It confirms that the SNP are in the doldrums."