Press Release: 26/05/04

STRAW MEETS THE STRAW MEN--SSP SLAM FISHING SELL OUT PLAN

Scottish Socialist party leader Tommy Sheridan today launched a blistering attack on the SNP leaderships attempt to cook up a face saving deal to allow them to support the proposed Euro constitution and a big business Europe.

Sheridan said;:

"I predict that today's talks will result in more fudge than fish. "New Labour and the increasingly New SNP need each other to sell the proposed European constitution which is, in reality, a blank cheque for big business in Europe.

"Any so called deal offered by New Labour to the SNP on fish will not be worth the paper it is written on and can be reversed at any time by the EU's unelected bureaucrats. "The SSP stands firmly for the control of Scotland's fisheries to be held in Scotland and favour a Europe run for the people and not big business.

"We are finding that this is a message which has growing support across rural and urban Scotland and will see an SSP MEP in Europe after the June 10th." [ends]


Press Release: 26/05/04

Skipper Swinney needs to explain "the one that got away" from Straw summit says SSP

SSP Euro candidate Felicity Garvie today angrily demanded that the SNP leadership explain their total failure to win any concessions on fishing in talks with Foreign Secretary Straw.

"This is the biggest case of the one that got away ever seen in Scotland"

said Ms Garvie.

"All the talk about forcing concessions out of Straw from the SNP turns out to be more bluster than a North Sea gale as they return empty handed.

"It's more Titanic than Braveheart.

"Rather than wringing concessions out of New Labour they have been turned into bit players in a Whitehall farce with Jack Straw as producer.

"The SNP have some serious explaining to do to the fishing communities which they have promised concessions and delivered nothing.

"Visiting the North East earlier this week with Tommy Sheridan it became increasingly clear that the windy SNP boasting will not deliver.

"Voters who want both independence and justice for working people such as fishermen and their communities now have a clear choice between SNP posing or a clear rejection of the Euro madness and a return of the control of Scotland's fishing to Scotland with the SSP." [Ends]