elections to the Scottish parliament get under way, opinion polls show the SP maintaining a significant lead over New Labour. In the constituencies this is currently showing at 5 per cent at 32 per cent, while on the list the margin is 4 per cent at 31 per cent.
Tony Blair, interviewed by Good Morning Scotland on April 3, seemed directionless in his approach. Previous attempts by his juniors, such as defence minister Des Browne, to attack the SNP fullon don't seem to have brought any dividends.
So while saying that "separation" should be debated, he attempts to focus on the record of New Labour in office. It does not seem to have occurred to him that this is precisely where so many people living in Scotland are finding his First Minister Jack Mc Connell and coalition partners the Lib Dems lacking.
poc Party SSP on the march: Colin Fox
One of the last acts that Holyrood performed before it adjourned for the election campaign was to pass up the opportunity to endorse free nutritious school meals -without which their decision to ban junk food from schools will do little to improve the health and life chances of the majority of working class pupils. The campaign waged by the Scottish Socialist Party and Curran to show why free school meals are common sense is one of the key pledges on which the party is standing in this election.
The SSP is challenging the pro-business vision of an independent Scotland - a vision which promises hundreds of millions of pounds in corporate tax cuts to big business. Its vision of an independent Socialist Scotland is one committed to standing up for ordinary people against big business and the rich.
SSP convenor Colin Fox told Scottish Left Review:
"The SSP is standing candidates on all eight regional lists for Holyrood and in 100 council wards across Scotland. We will present a manifesto that is anti-war, anti-Trident, anti-nuclear power, anti-Blair, anti-capitalist, but also proindependence, pro-public ownership and public service, pro-trade union, and for a modern democratic republic and redistribution of wealth.
"Our policies on so many issues chime with the political centre of gravity of the Scottish people, which is far to the left of both Labour and SNP
"Our five flagship policies for Holyrood are:
• Scotland wide free public transport,
• an independence referendum within a year,
• 100,000 affordable new homes for rent,
•healthy nutritious free school meals for all pupils
• and replacing the hated Council tax with a progressive income based alternative." launched a fund two months ago to support the SP's election campaign. So far we have raised £1556. We want to make sure we top the £2000 target well before May 3. Rush your cheques to Socialist Resistance, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU, marked SSP.