SSP News : News from the Scottish Socialist Party

Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | A new hymn sheet

It started with a song. In a strong voice, above the protestations of Scottish parliament officials, Colin Fox, Socialist MSP for the Lothians, launched into A Man's a Man For a' That, Robert Burns' great paean to egalitarianism.

It is the Scottish parliament's unofficial anthem but the words were sung in rebellion, before a chamber that held its breath, learning that Holyrood has changed and new political forces are at work in Scotland.

posted by Alister at 9:42 PM(+)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | A week of 'madness'

posted by Alister at 9:41 PM(+)

Friday, May 09, 2003

Intervista a Tommy Sheridan dei socialisti scozzesi

"Il New Labour - in caduta libera" Liberazione - Paper of Rifondazione (Italy)

posted by Alister at 2:34 PM(+)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Backlash over Holyrood 'reforms'

Tommy Sheridan said Mr McConnell's offer was not enough - and insisted he wanted to be able to grill the first minister every week.

"It's true we are only a small party but we have gained a remarkable increase in support across Scotland, increasing our second vote by 245%, so the idea of one question with one supplementary a week is the least we would expect," he said.

posted by Alister at 2:00 PM(+)

McConnell could impose fire deal

Last night, Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialist party, predicted Mr McConnell would have a "ferocious battle on his hands" at Holyrood if he tried to impose a deal. "This is going to be a very important test of the new Scottish Executive," the Glasgow MSP said. "I hope the Socialists, the SNP, and the Greens will unite against imposing a shoddy deal on a free trade union." The Herald

posted by Alister at 1:58 PM(+)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Rosie's new style of politics

posted by Alister at 10:25 AM(+)

Thursday, May 08, 2003

Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | Holyrood socialists voice their defiance Burns ode to equality sung in protest over royal oath

posted by Alister at 10:57 AM(+)

A day of drama and high jinks at Holyrood The Herald

posted by Alister at 10:08 AM(+)

The Scotsman - Politics - Citizen Kane has the oath on hand

Frances Curran, another of Tommy's Trots, said democrats should not be forced to swear allegiance to unelected monarchs. Then she mumbled the oath so inaudibly that she might have been saying, "I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush."

...But the show belonged to the Socialists. They’ll get panned, of course, but they won’t care.

And neither will your sketch-writer. The shock on the faces of the Establishment-minded was a joy to behold: "What, people with principles! How dare they! So childish!" The same folk who complained about the place being boring were now complaining that it had become interesting.

posted by Alister at 10:06 AM(+)

The Scotsman - Politics - SSP warned to behave in 'civilised' fashion

posted by Alister at 10:01 AM(+)

Wednesday, May 07, 2003

Above: Rosie Kane MSP makes a clear statement.

The SSP MSP's took the oath of allegiance under protest today. Colin Fox MSP was prevented from singing Robert Burns egalitarian anthem 'A Man's A Man'.

"I and my party colleagues were elected on a clear and honest commitment to an independent Socialist Scotland, a Socialist republic, a Scotland of citizens not a Scotland of subjects.

"We will continue to fight for such a Scotland."

Tommy Sheridan MSP, SSP group leader

posted by Alister at 2:53 PM(+)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Oath protest as MSPs start work

posted by Alister at 2:33 PM(+)

FT.com / Lib Dems seek third Scottish cabinet post

Both the SSP and Greens have won the right to representation on the Edinburgh parliament's corporate body, which decides the timing and subject of debates. And both parties, previously one-man-bands at Holyrood, will also claim wider representation on parliament's committees, which in Edinburgh not only vet legislation and monitor the executive, but can also generate new bills.

In policy terms, this is likely to see the SSP pushing hard for reform of Scotland's council tax, which it wants replaced by a far more progressive "Scottish service tax". Mr Sheridan will also press the executive to pledge free school meals.

Even acting alone during the last parliament, Mr Sheridan made an impact. In 2000, a personal campaign to have warrant sales abolished resulted in a members' bill winning parliamentary approval. And the 39-year-old firebrand, who has been imprisoned three times as a result of his political campaigns, narrowly missed having his campaign for free school meals adopted.

Mr Sheridan spoke after his party's breakthrough in the polls of a "new political force being formed" in Scotland. It is not one that either Labour or the Lib Dems, nor for that matter the Scottish nationalists who lost votes to the SSP, will easily be able to disregard. Financial Times

posted by Alister at 9:55 AM(+)

Blair Misses War Bounce

Polling before the election suggested that a substantial number of traditional Labour Party voters would bolt because of their anger over Blair's prowar stance, and that appears to be precisely what happened. The militantly antiwar SSP, whose leader Tommy Sheridan appeared frequently at antiwar rallies throughout the campaign and continued to wear a "No More Wars" pin even after the fighting in Iraq slackened, had held a single seat in the previous parliament. On May 1, the SSP won six seats.

The Nation (USA)

posted by Alister at 9:52 AM(+)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Oath protest as MSPs start work

On Wednesday morning the 129 MSPs, both old and new, must swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.

As a republican, Tommy Sheridan and his Scottish Socialists will do so under protest.

In 1999 Mr Sheridan - at that time the party's only MSP - took the oath with a raised fist.

Speaking before Wednesday's ceremony, he said: "Each of us will take the oath under protest, but the form of the protest will be entirely up to each individual member.

"I will be raising the clenched fist. I don't know whether the other comrades will.

"We will be verbally protesting when we take the oath. We were told last time that we weren't allowed but we did, and that's set the precedent."

posted by Alister at 9:41 AM(+)

Socialists say they will stretch oath rules The Herald

posted by Alister at 9:37 AM(+)

Tuesday, May 06, 2003

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Protest over Afghan asylum move

Scottish politicians are backing calls for a halt to the forced deportation of Afghan asylum seekers.

Refugee groups have already attacked the UK Government's decision to start sending people back to Afghanistan following the fall of the Taleban regime.

A protest against that decision was being held in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Those taking part were to include Labour MP Mohammed Sarwar, Scottish National Party MSP Sandra White and Scottish Socialist MSPs Tommy Sheridan and Rosie Kane.

posted by Alister at 4:46 PM(+)

Edinburgh Evening News - Top Stories - Greens and SSP to get top Holyrood jobs

The SSP's first choice would be the convenership of the social justice committee but, failing that, it would settle for the petitions committee, which was chaired in the last parliament by Labour left-winger John McAllion, who lost his seat to the SNP in the elections.

The SSP today promised to use its new strength in the parliament to make a serious assault on poverty. The party said it is already planning what legislation it can introduce to improve the lives of people in Scotland's most deprived communities. SSP leader Tommy Sheridan is determined to reintroduce his bill for universal free school meals, one of the core policies included in the election manifesto.

And the party believes attempting to get other redistributive measures on to the statute book should be its priority in parliament for the next four years. Politicians in other parties seized on comments by Rosie Kane, one of the new SSP MSPs, at the weekend that she hoped the parliament would become "a bit like the Big Brother House". People would be "amazed at all the madness and craziness that's going to happen in there", she said.

But today Lothians SSP MSP Colin Fox said the party would be setting about the serious business of promoting legislation to tackle poverty and inequality.

He said: " We are going to be more pro-active in putting forward legislation in parliament. After four years, we want to be able to point to certain things and say: 'We brought that in, it's not socialism, but it has made a real difference to the lives of people in Scotland'."

Mr Sheridan won a dramatic victory with his Bill to abolish warrant sales when he gathered enough Labour rebels to force the Executive to drop its opposition to the move. But his Bill to give free school meals to all Scots children - at a cost of £174 million - was defeated in June last year .

posted by Alister at 1:17 PM(+)

Socialists to take oath 'under duress'

Mr Sheridan said the swearing-in ceremony, with its pledge "to be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law" had no place in a modern Scotland, whether as a religious oath or as an affirmation. He said: "Our position on this is very clear.

"We think it is a democratic disgrace that a parliament elected on the basis of honesty and integrity forces many members to tell a lie on their very first day.

"We completely oppose swearing allegiance to a privileged elite to which we have no allegiance, and therefore we will do so under duress. There will be no agreed party wording on this. The MSPs will make their own different statements."

posted by Alister at 9:29 AM(+)

The Scotsman - Politics - What do the left-leaning Greens want?

The Greens are noticeably wary of getting too close to the socialists at this stage. They know they share some common ground, but are equally aware that they will scare off many of their voters if they ally themselves too closely with militant left-wingers such as the SSP. It is a delicate balance to strike

posted by Alister at 9:26 AM(+)

The Scotsman - Politics - Welcome to Tommy's world

posted by Alister at 9:25 AM(+)

Monday, May 05, 2003

Power to the people as the wee parties steal show

IF THERE was an award for the best celebration of Scottish election night it would, without doubt, go to Colin Fox of the Scottish Socialist Party.

Hearing that he had been elected as a regional list MSP for the Lothians, in the early hours of yesterday morning, he leapt off the platform, over a barrier and jumped up and down cheering with his fists in the air, before running back to hug party comrades. London Times

posted by Alister at 3:55 PM(+)

SCOTLAND: `A new political force emerges' Green Left Weekly, Australia

posted by Alister at 12:31 PM(+)

Sunday, May 04, 2003

Scotland on Sunday - Politics - Will Independents' Day bring fringe benefits or chaos to Holyrood?

Sheridan, with his snappy suits, sun-tan, rigorous fitness regime and tendency to be arrested for demonstrating outside nuclear bases, has become an icon of the Scottish parliament, again among young people attracted by his powerful rhetoric and the SSP policy to legalise cannabis. Many were scandalised by Sheridan's raising a fist in protest at having to take an oath to the Queen when taking up his position as an MSP. For others the move was seen as symbolic of the spirit of Red Clydeside in the new Scottish parliament.

The SSP produced some of the most stylishly cheeky advertising of the whole campaign. One leaflet compared the choices available to a pizza menu. New Labour's pizza was 'greasy, cheesy and full of mince' while the SNP's offering was 'half-baked'.

Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University's politics department, said: "This was the result Tommy Sheridan has been campaigning for for four years, and he has pulled it off with his style of campaigning. He wove himself into the anti-war campaign. He is a charismatic leader and has made his party a natural resting place for disaffected Labour voters.

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