BBC News Online
The link between Britain's biggest rail union and the Labour Party has been broken after more than 100 years.
It follows the Rail, Maritime and Transport union's decision on Friday to continue to allow branches to affiliate to other political parties.
The union rejected an ultimatum from Labour to stop supporting the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP).

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 07/02/04

Scottish Socialists welcome RMT decision as ‘new era’

Tommy Sheridan, the National Convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party, today welcomed the decision of the RMT trade union to affirm support of political parties other than Labour.
Tommy said;
“The RMT decision ushers in a new era of development in socialist politics.
“For over 100 years trade unionists have supported socialist policies but New Labour’s big business agenda is the enemy of socialist politics and more and more trade unionists are willing to admit this reality.
“The Scottish Socialist Party is a young party and small in comparison to Labour but we mustn’t forget that Labour started life as a small party as well.
“We make this appeal to every trade unionist in Scotland: should the members hard earned cash be poured into the coffers of New Labour to support their big business and millionaires agenda ?
“New Labour represents the millionaires in society, the SSP aspires to represent the millions.
“In the words of the RMT banner at the special conference;
The past we inherit, the future we build.”
[ends]

The Scotsman
Andrew Denholm
AN INVESTIGATION is to be held into allegations that Jack McConnell, the First Minister, lied to the Scottish Parliament.
George Reid, the Presiding Officer, announced the inquiry after Mr McConnell was repeatedly accused of lying by Tommy Sheridan, the leader of the Scottish Socialist Party.
Mr Reid stepped in after a simmering feud between Mr McConnell and Mr Sheridan, which has run for several weeks, boiled over during yesterday’s session of First Minister’s Question Time.
Mr Sheridan accused the First Minister of lying to parliament over the war in Iraq just a week after making similar accusations over comments by Mr McConnell about the Scottish Socialists’ policy on drugs.
The SSP leader based his claims on claims by the First Minister made in the run-up to war when he referred to intelligence material that suggested Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Sheridan said: "I know you have a problem with honest answers, but in light of recent comments ... in relation to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, will you now be honest and mature enough to admit that you were wrong? Will you apologise for misleading parliament, or is it the case that you think lying in parliament is now an acceptable practice, as you did last week in relation to the SSP drug policy?"

BBC News Online
Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) leader Tommy Sheridan is at the centre of a political row after he accused the first minister of being a liar.
Presiding Officer George Reid launched an investigation after Mr Sheridan accused Jack McConnell of "lying" to parliament over the war in Iraq.
The clash came a week after Mr Sheridan made similar claims over comments Mr McConnell made on the SSP drugs policy

The Herald
TOM GORDON, Scottish Political Correspondent February 05 2004

THOUSANDS of postal workers have voted to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist party in support of the RMT union if the latter severs its ties with the Labour party.
The Scotland No 2 branch of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) voted overwhelmingly to back the SSP in sympathy with the RMT earlier this week. The branch represents about 4000 delivery staff, counter staff and mail sorters in Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife, central Scotland and the Borders.
The move comes on the eve of a meeting in Glasgow tomorrow when the Rail, Maritime and Transport union in Glasgow will decide whether to reverse an earlier decision to allow five Scottish branches to switch from Labour to the SSP.
Labour has warned the union it breached the party's rules by allowing the change. Last week, Labour's national executive committee (NEC) said that if the RMT did not reverse its decision, the union would be viewed as being outside Labour and the split would be final.
Derek Durkin, secretary of the CWU branch threatening to switch, said: "Our members are angry at the recent decision of the NEC of the Labour party to expel the RMT from membership should they uphold their decision to allow their Scottish branches to affiliate to the SSP.
"We view this as an attack on the principle of free trade unionism in this country."
He said the affiliation threat applied only to the No 2 branch level, and ties with Labour would be maintained at local constituency level. This would give the SSP only a few hundred pounds a year, he said, but the symbolism of the switch was more important.
Mr Durkin also said the move could cause a fight with the CWU's London headquarters, and could result in expulsion from the Labour party.
Tommy Sheridan, leader of the SSP, said: "I hope the RMT decide to support branches that have democratically debated and decided to affiliate to the SSP. However, it is their union, it is their rule book, and it is their political fund."
A Labour spokesman said: "We would urge the CWU branch to rethink its decision, just as we would urge the RMT to rethink its decision. They are both far stronger within the Labour party than outside it."
The CWU's London HQ said union policy stated branches could not affiliate to parties other than Labour.