Open Letter to local Labour Party activists

from Willie Telfer, SSP Campsie Strathkelvin Organiser

Many groupings look to their elders for sage advice on the future. This should be the case in relation to local labour activists approaching the independence referendum next year.

Willie Telfer (left) "Labour Party activists would do well to listen to Canavan and Charlie Gray - stalwarts of long standing commitment to true 'Labour' values."

Look at the position of the once giants of the local Labour party, Dennis Canavan and Charlie Gray. Names from the local past when a labour party branch was an integral part of the life of every town and village in Strathkelvin, where the pursuit through representation of social justice provoked large numbers of ordinary folk to become active to ensure their election to Westminster and to the Strathclyde region.

With their experience and their long standing commitment to true Labour values surely the modern day Labour activist would be well advised to listen to them on independence. Denis is of course a national co-chair for a Yes vote and is proving a powerful advocate who is respected by all in Scottish politics, he links independence  with the opportunity to build a progressive society which could show the way for other progressive forces in UK . Gray would agree with that opportunity,though his recent declaration for independence is perhaps more targeted at the heart and soul of Scottish Labour and those activists that still carry the torch for socialism in an organization embarrassed by the very word.

The fact is that the Labour party in an independent Scotland would and should go back to being the mass party of the people,of the working class. It would be free of the shackles of chasing the minds of middle England, placating the Sun, the Mail and the Express, Old Scottish labour values for Scottish people, I believe they would see a regeneration of activism as they rediscover the cause.

The recent white paper on independence shows at present that amongst the larger parties the SNP have at least a decent idea of politics for a cause and in coalition with the SSP, the Greens and other forces on the left, the message of a fairer more just Scotland will gain the day.

I say the only place for a true socialist to be,no matter which party banner they fly, is in the yes camp. Don't take my word for it comrades, Canavan and Gray are calling you again to build a better country and to save the soul of the Scottish Labour party itself.

Sign the petition...

To Ed Miliband, leader of UK Labour Party:

Present Emergency Motion in Parliament to Abolish the Bedroom Tax - NOW, not after 2015!

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Independence:

SSP Campsie blogger, Neil Scott "Labour Commentators Are Wrong to Pull Independence Debate Ultra-Right" HERE via @huffingtonpost

Elect a socialist in East Dunbartonshire...

place a number 1 beside the socialist candidate!

(click on leaflet for larger version)

Kirkintilloch East and Twechar  Willie Telfer:

The “mainstream” political parties are draining Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland and the UK in general of taxes that should be going towards helping people.  In England, the Tories and Liberal Democrats have overseen the selloff of the NHS to the likes of SERCO, a company who are involved in military and nuclear weapons contracts, detention centres and prisons. This hardly fits with the Doctor mantra, "Do no harm..."  Our local council – ran by an unholy alliance of Tories and New Labour, (and still suffering from the neglect of the previous Liberal Democrat led administration) have overseen the paying off of vital council staff from classroom assistants through to librarians, yet pour millions of our Council Tax into paying interest to corporations who are profiteering from schools and hospital builds.  The council is the first line of defence from the profiteers who are trying to turn our services into “for profit organisations,” rather than “care, education and fairness.”  An SSP councillor will fight to ensure your taxes are spent on vital services rather than servicing profits.

Scottish Socialist Party councillors will always put first the interests of local people and; communities; Scottish Socialist Party councillors will demand and will present balanced ‘No Cuts’ budgets and unlike other parties, SSP councillors are prepared to do whatever it takes to deliver a better deal for local people through protected and enhanced services and public sector jobs.

Bishopbriggs South   Mark Callaghan:

I am 46, involved in both the Healthy Living Program and my local Town Hall

As a socialist, I believe in a system that help people not one that is about a minority of people making extortionate profits by keeping people poor.  If elected, I will always put first the interests of local people and communities and will present a balanced ‘No Cuts’ budget – budgets for the people, not the bankers.

Unlike other parties, all SSP councillors are prepared to campaign to deliver a better deal for local people through protected and enhanced services and public sector jobs.

SSP Councillors will stand beside communities being attacked and will defend them in a practical way both inside the council Chamber and outside.

Neil Scott, Bearsden North.

A local teacher, Neil Scott, is standing in the May elections against what he sees as the mismanagement of Council money and unnecessary cuts.  He said in a statement, “East Dunbartonshire has, in recent years, had the misfortune of having had a Liberal Democrat Council followed by a coalition of Labour and Tories.  The mishandling of the council by these three versions of the same thing has seen an attempt to close schools in the past two years; terrible deals with corporations that have meant millions of pounds of our Council Tax money being given over to massive PPP/PFI “Guaranteed returns on investment” for minimum outlay; a decimation of our local services from Libraries through to schools, and more.  If any of these parties gain the council in May, there will be more of the same, and in fact the deferred closure of East Dunbartonshire Schools will go ahead.

As a father and a teacher I have a different vision for East Dunbartonshire services.  Our area is a well off council area, one in which money could be invested in our services rather than further job-losses and cuts.  I see a clear need to renegotiate PPP/PFI deals.  Some of these venture capitalists are making millions of pounds of our tax money with investments of a few hundred pounds.  I see East Dunbartonshire being a place of opportunity for all; a place where our money is invested in real jobs and services which will help stimulate the Scottish economy.  The real drivers of any economy are people.  The profits creamed off by corporations from our Council tax should be reclaimed and invested in real jobs and in our people.”

New Labour - "A Wolf in Sheeps clothing."

Comment by Ron Mackay

Your taxes - useless missiles or useful hospitals?

“We have an extremist Government at Westminster which is hell bent on using the current economic situation to achieve a neo-liberal society and dismantle the welfare state despite the fact that it was just these market structures and competitive individualism that resulted in the banking fiasco”. With the Scottish elections, in spite of it's limited powers we may get some limited protection. The media forecasts Labour as the largest party with the Scottish Nationalists second. When you vote Labour in most cases you get New Labour which is totally different from the party for which our parents and grandparents voted. New Labour, with it's neo-liberal policies, is just a variant of the Conservatives and should be opposed by the Scottish people as the Conservatives are. New Labour is “a wolf in sheep's clothing”.

Iain Gray, along with his Labour colleagues voted in support of the war in Iraq in the Scottish Parliament debate on March 13, 2003 which will long shame the Labour in Scotland. As recently as last September an opportunity arose for Labour to oppose the war in Afghanistan. Only 310 M.P.'s (less than half) turned up to vote and only 16 voted against, two of them being Katy Clark and Mark Lazarowitz the only two Scottish Labour M.P.s to vote against. These wars are not just a mistake they're criminal. Millions of innocent men,women and children have been killed and further millions made homeless. Labour bears a heavy responsibility.

Labour during 13 years in power made no effort to get rid of Trident and in the midst of the present crisis continues to support the huge expenditure on Trident and warfare in general. As Socialists have long proclaimed YOU CAN'T HAVE WARFARE AND WELFARE. Labour has chosen warfare.

Labour is not a Socialist party nor is the Scottish National party but ,at least the Scottish Nationalists do oppose Trident. The Scottish people will have the opportunity to vote for a Socialist .In all 8 regions of Scotland there will be a S.S.P. Candidate who, if elected, will be able to raise vital issues which would otherwise be neglected and introduce policies to promote health, welfare and education as they were able to do in the past.

Millionaires fooled us by control of Head Fixing Industry

I served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and like many of the returning servicemen, I hoped for a socialist future. The Labour Party sensing the mood of the people, put forward a socialist programme to restore the economy. The major industries, transport, energy and all the main branches of the economy were nationalised. The welfare state of the National Health Service was started. Pre-fabs were introduced to ease the housing shortage. Scarce commodities were shared. We had our ration books, clothing coupons, petrol coupons etc. Nobody, but nobody talked about cuts. With control of industry we could plan out our future and provide better prospects for all.

Unfortunately the Labour Party was never a socialist party, as Tony Benn said, though there were many socialists in it. What started so promising deteriorated as private interests were allowed to regain power. The biggest industry of all, “the head fixing industry”- the media – was left in private hands and the millionaire owners ensured their interests were promoted in the sneaky way that has slowly eroded our democracy and impoverished millions.

I hope it won’t take a major global catastrophe before people realise that socialism is the only possible future for all.