Evening Times

THE NUMBER of staffed beds in Glasgow hospitals has fallen by more than 20% according to statistics revealed today.
Scottish Socialist MSP Carolyn Leckie obtained official figures from Parliament which show the reduction across all specialities in the NHS.
The figures show that in 1998 hospitals in Greater Glasgow had 8059 staffed beds, which had fallen to 6181 in 2004 - a reduction of 23%.
Across Scotland the fall was more than 7000 beds, down 20% from 37,998 to 30,071.
Ms Leckie, the SSP health spokeswoman, said that the figures showed why the public was outraged over the state of the NHS in Scotland .
She said: "This is clear evidence that the NHS is creaking at the seams."
"Across all specialities between 1998 and 2004 there has been a 20% cut in average available staffed beds.
"These figures explain why the public and NHS staff are up in arms at further cuts.
"With a 20% cut in available hospital beds and up to a third in some specialities, it is not an understatement to say that this is the biggest crisis the NHS has ever faced."

The Scotsman

SCOTS film star Dougray Scott, tipped to be the next James Bond, is being lined up for an appearance in Edinburgh’s Southside.

Lothians Scottish Socialist MSP Colin Fox is hoping the Fife-born actor will agree to perform the official opening of his new constituency office.

Scott, 38, who appeared in Mission Impossible 2 and Enigma, joined the Scottish Socialist Party last year. And Mr Fox, list MSP for the Lothians, said he was inviting him to perform the official opening at the shop-front office at 52 Clerk Street, which is already operating 9am to 5pm every weekday.

"I’ll try to get him to come along the next time he’s up watching his beloved Hibs," said Mr Fox.

BBC NEWS: Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan said the report posed more questions than it answered.

He said: 'It does not answer two main questions that the Scottish public will have about the new parliament building.

'Someone made a fortune from this project - who was it and who let them get away with it?

'Are we seriously expected to believe that in selecting the Holyrood site that Donald Dewar, a member of the UK Cabinet, did not discuss the site with his cabinet colleagues?'

Mr Sheridan added: 'For all the cost and grandeur of our new Scottish Parliament building the biggest scandal is that it does not have the powers it needs to change the lives of the people of Scotland decisively for the better.'

The Scotsman

Blair Urged to Quit over Soldier's Death

By Leigh Arnold, Political Reporter, Scottish Press Association

The mother of a Scots soldier killed in Iraq repeated calls for Tony Blair to resign today, on the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the US.

Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra, said the Prime Minister “makes me sick”.

Mrs Gentle also reiterated her demand that British troops be brought home during a Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) rally in Glasgow.

She said: “Tony Blair said if there were no weapons of mass destruction he would resign, which he hasn’t. So is that another lie he has given us?

“And why has he still not decided to meet the parents of the sons who’ve been killed.”

She added: “If he’s any sort of person he should resign and stop getting young boys killed.

“I would love to see him come up and see my other boys grieve and see how he can stand to look at it when Gordon’s not here for Christmas.

“I hope he enjoys his Christmas because I won’t. The man makes me sick when I see him on the telly with his stupid grin.”

Gordon, from Glasgow, was serving with the Royal Highland Fusiliers when he was killed on June 28, just weeks after completing his training.

Mrs Gentle believes his death could have been avoided if his patrol had been equipped with an electronic signal jamming device which would have stopped the bomb being detonated.

The family have launched a campaign against the war and are now taking steps to sue the Ministry of Defence for negligence over Gordon’s death.

She told the 300-strong audience at “Socialism 2004 – The World Is Ours” that her son had died in “an illegal war”.

Her voice breaking with emotion she said: “It eats me away to think that they had the equipment that could have prevented the bomb going off, but it was left in a cupboard and placed on two hours after Gordon’s death.”

Mrs Gentle said she had received hundreds of letters of support urging her to continue fighting, including some from soldiers and their families.

She added: “I firmly believe that the time has come for the Government to bring our soldiers home, away from the illegal war in Iraq.”

A host of politicians and international speakers were addressing the weekend rally at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Among those taking part were SSP leader Tommy Sheridan and comedian Mark Steel as well as visitors from Darfur, Columbia and the Basque country.