The Herald

Scottish Socialists yesterday claimed universal free public transport would transform both the environment and lives of the less well-off as they launched their election manifesto.

They cited measures taken by the city of San Francisco to argue that bus, rail and ferry fares for pedestrians and cyclists should be scrapped.

Party leader Colin Fox launched the manifesto at Hampden stadium in Glasgow along with colleague Alan McCombes and some of the party's leading candidates.

They claimed to be ahead of former SSP leader Tommy Sheridan's breakaway Solidarity party in the polls, with Mr Fox saying the SSP was targeting the return of eight MSPs at the election.

The party's transport plans would cost around £1bn according to Mr McCombes - twice the estimate put on the policy by the LibDems transport spokesman, Tavish Scott.

But the SSP says this would be less than one-third of Scotland's contribution to defence spending and a quarter of the combined cost of road congestion, accidents and repairs.

Mr Fox added that it was part of their plans to address global warming. "We've come up with a way that will persuade people to keep their car at home. It's a better alternative than what we have just now.

"I think it's to our immense credit that we've come forward with a proposal which isn't hitting people with a big stick about using the car. It's free, integrated, reliable transport right across Scotland, that's the centrepiece of our election manifesto."

The party claims that San Francisco had announced similar proposals recently in a move to tackle climate change.

Scottish Socialist Party plans:

JUSTICE
Free heroin on prescription to registered addicts, under controlled conditions.

ECONOMY
National minimum wage of £8 an hour for all public sector workers. Confiscation of assets of multi-nationals which switch production to low-wage economies.

TRANSPORT
Universal free public transport to help both the poor and the environment. Scrap all planned major road projects.

EDUCATION
Maximum class sizes of 20, no school closures, restoration of student grants.

ENVIRONMENT
Carbon rationing covering the use of gas, electricity, petrol and air flights.

HEALTH
Reversal of all PFI projects and a ban on NHS consultants doing private work. Free school meals and prescriptions.

GOVERNMENT
Back a referendum inside one year to create an independent, nuclear-free, multi-cultural Scotland.

Labels: election07, freepublictransport

Edinburgh Evening News

SCOTTISH Socialists launched their election manifesto today, with free public transport top of a list of 450 detailed policies.

And the party claimed it was on course to win a list seat in each of the eight regions of Scotland

The manifesto, entitled People Not Profit, was produced using the latest "Wiki" technology from contributions by party members with specialist knowledge in different policy areas before being approved by an SSP conference in March.

Party leader Colin Fox said:

"We've distributed over 300,000 election newspapers door-to-door, held scores of public meetings across Scotland and spoke to tens of thousands of people on the streets and doorsteps.

"Our call for free public transport, independence and wealth redistribution is going down a storm.

"Polls put the SSP within striking distance of winning a seat in all eight regions and our manifesto is an unashamed socialist programme that would make a massive difference to millions of Scots, not the millionaires that the other parties are attempting to woo.

"You won't find any big businesses backing the SSP."

Labels: colinfox, election07, ssp