SSP FIGHTS FOR THE PEACH VOTE

Scottish Socialist Party news conference

Wednesday 23 April at 2.00 p.m.

Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT)


The Scottish Socialist Party will hand out free peaches to the press on Wednesday to publicise its drive for the ‘peach vote’ on May 1st.

Tommy Sheridan, SSP Convenor said,

“There is still widespread confusion over the Holyrood voting system. To simplify things, we’re explaining to voters that there are three colour-coded ballot papers. The ballot form for the council elections is white. The ballot form for the first-past-the-post constituency seats is aquamarine. And the crucial ballot for the regional list is peach-coloured. Your peach vote is a proportional vote – and every peach vote will count for the SSP. We want all your votes: 1-2-3 = SSP. But if you only give us ONE vote, make sure it’s a peach.”

The SSP will explain that a Labour vote on the peach form is a wasted vote. In 1999 a total of 735,497 voters across Scotland wasted their regional (peach) vote by voting Labour in regions where they had no possibility of winning top up seats.

SSP election co-ordinator, Alan McCombes said,

“You might as well tear up your peach ballot paper as mark an X against Labour. But every peach vote counts for the SSP. Polls show that we are within one per cent in each region of winning an extra Holyrood seat. Just a few hundred peach votes for the SSP in every constituency could potentially deliver nine SSP MSPs – two in Glasgow and one each in the other seven regions of Scotland.”
[ends]
For further information contact Tommy Sheridan on 07887 795075 or Hugh Kerr on 01620 890518/07713 063647