Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Citizen Fox shouts out 'power to the people' as 10 SSP Candidates stand for Westminster, they will get slotted at the ballot box














Dear All

The Tommy Sheridan case effectively destroyed the The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP).

At Holyrood; they were wiped completely off the political map.

They have however bounced back with a UK election manifesto with a warning that Westminster-imposed cuts will threaten 100,000 Scots jobs.

I can’t see them winning many seats but I wish them well, they made Holyrood more diverse and colourful.

This venture into politics I see as a stepping stone to reacquired seats ay Holyrood.

The party has offered a five-point pledge to voters.

I often wonder why political parties seem to gravitate towards the number 5.

They say they will focus on the economy and cleaning up politics after the MP expenses scandal.

650 seats up for grabs and they would be extremely lucky to get even one.

The SSP is having a bash at fighting 10 Scottish seats in the 6 May election, after the launch its manifesto in Edinburgh.

Their pitch is to offer an alternative to the "doom and gloom of mainstream parties".

They say they will oppose cuts that threaten Scottish jobs, back action to guarantee employment for young people and support the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

Pledge one isn’t a policy with an outcome as such, the second isn’t realistic and the third would be impossible to achieve.

But good electioneering stuff but detail and substance isn’t really there.

The SSP said it also wanted to see MPs paid a "workers' wage" and an independence referendum to deliver a Scottish socialist republic.

As to the “workers wage”, given the nature of the job and travel involved, I would like to see MPs properly rewarded for their efforts.

As to the independence referendum, back that good idea to the hilt.

SSP leader Colin Fox said;

"Across Scotland, the Scottish Socialist Party campaign will sound the alarm about the massive threat to jobs and services from public spending cuts and offer a socialist alternative which demands that the rich pay for the crisis their greed caused."

The problem is most of the rich and greed doesn’t live in Scotland.

Fox added;

"Our alternative puts people before profit, opposes the war in Afghanistan and says 'yes' to independence."

So, why aren’t he and his people in the SNP?

I say good luck to them but I don’t see them making a break through, they don’t have a USP and a protest vote will only get you so far.

They really do need a more viable vision.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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