Press Release 27/08/03

The Scottish Socialist Party today accused Labour and Lib Dem politicians of running scared of the Scottish electorate and demanded that Westminster get its own house in order before rewriting the voting rules for Holyrood.
Party spokesperson, Alan McCombes, said:
“The Labour-Lib Dem political establishment is panic-stricken at the success of socialist, green and independent candidates in the recent Holyrood elections.
“The voting system for the Scottish Parliament was developed over years of deliberation by the Scottish Constitutional Convention.
“As a result, the parliament is now vastly more representative than either Westminster or local councils. If anything, small parties are still under-represented in Holyrood.
“Any changes should be designed to increase rather than diminish proportionality.”
The SSP accused Westminster of arrogance and hypocrisy and suggested that those proposing change are motivated by fear of a pro-independence majority in Holyrood in 2007.
“The most recent polls show that Scotland’s pro-independence parties could win a majority in Holyrood in 2007.
“Foremost among those clamouring to rewrite the rules is arch-unionist Brian Wilson who was elected to Westminster with a minority of votes in his Cunninghame North constituency.
“It is breathtaking arrogance for a Westminster MP to demand change for Holyrood.
“The real disgrace of politics in this country is that we persist with an outrageously undemocratic first-past-the-post system, in which Labour has 76 per cent of Scottish MPs with just 43 per cent of the vote.
“The UK electoral system is half a century behind the rest of Europe. If there is urgent need for change, it is for Westminster and local council elections.”
The Scottish Socialist Party will today table a motion calling for no change in the Holyrood voting system without wide consultation with civic organisations throughout Scotland.
“The people of Scotland voted for a proprtional electoral system in a national referendum. It would be an outrage against democracy if a Westminster government – elected by a minority of voters - were to rush through legislation which oled to an abandonment of genuine proportional represenatation in Scotland.”