One reason why I support Independence...

By Neil Scott, Campsie Branch.

How do I explain my want for an independent Scotland? Ok. Lets do that using one example. Excess.

It's clear I am a socialist, so surplus in my independent Scotland would be used to ensure those with little access to something they need, get it. Excess or surplus or profit would not bolster the bank accounts of those who have so much they will never use it.

In Scotland, over 2000 people MORE die in the four winter months than they do in the previous four and the following four. A lot of those deaths are because of hypothermia in the home. This is in a country in which we have an excess of oil and an excess of electricity produced. This surplus is not given to our pensioners and poor to ensure they live through these harsh Scottish months. Both are sold in London or through a majority of London based companies for the profit boosting of the top six power companies who make more than £30 billion a year to cushion billionaires from the harsh winters on their yachts in the Carribean or at the most local, their well heated second, third or forth homes they keep in Scotland for the Grouse shoot or a wee visit at Hogmanay.

£30 billion a year that is mostly generated in Scotland through our excess of power. And this figure does not factor in the oil drained from our shores to bolster those bank accounts of the millionaires and billionaires who can afford to invest in the oil companies. Money they will in all probability never spend, while the lives of the poor and old are sacrificed.

Fighting this greed and fighting to share out our plentiful resources to ensure people have better, longer and more productive lives has not happened with Scotland in the UK. The UK is not OK for Scotand's vulnerable.

Scotland has voted continuously and decisively for a more socially just system since the days of Thatcher and before. But what have we had? Our budgets and welfare controlled by the Tories, Liberal Democrats and New Labour- all who have deep relationships with the power and oil profiteers.

None of the above really want to ensure our pensioners and vulnerable are safe and warm. In fact all of the above support welfare cuts and bleeding more money from the most vulnerable of our people in order to boost profits and pay off bankers.

Can staying in the UK change this? The evidence of the past forty years is evidence itself.

Can an Independent Scotland change this? I believe so, as the people of Scotland have been proven to vote for fairness and increasingly so, from election to election.

Milngavie Residents angry at hike in Fuel prices

Today Campsie Branch Scottish Socialist Party held street work in Milngavie gauging the effects of the fuel price rises and giving the residents of the town an opportunity to sign the SSP fuel prices petition. Again, the Party members were overwhelmed with the response. The people of Milngavie are every bit as angry at the fuel profiteers and the Government as those in Irvine (see HERE for a report about the stall in Irvine and see below for photos.).

Milngavie has a high proportion of retired residents, and pensioners we spoke to said they wouldn't be switching on their heating until mid October instead of September this year. One retired lady spoke about the fact she had worked all her life only now, in her late eighties, to be contemplating knitting a thick jumper and giving up her only luxury – bingo – in order to afford the price hike.

As in Irvine, at some points of the afternoon, people were queuing up to sign the petition and even when we ran out of space (we collected around 300 signatures in the space of an hour and a half) people insisted on signing the back of the sheets as we were packing up!

Bearsden SSP member, Linda Howie said, “Lot’s of people in Scotland have the impression that Bearsden and Milngavie is an affluent area. It is true there are well off people here – but there are also huge amounts of pensioners and families who have been hit hard by price rises in oil, gas, electricity and food.”

Lenzie member, Thomas Swann agreed and added, “the people of East Dunbartonshire have been let down by politicians and profit takers. Today ordinary people in Milngavie showed how angry they are at this government’s betrayal of families, pensioners, the low paid and working parents.”

Thomas Swann explains the SSP solution to the fuel profit takers to Milngavie residents.

Milngavie couple sign the SSP petition.


Milngavie resident signs petition as SSP member Neil Scott gives out "Free Public Transport" leaflets.






Milngavie residents sign petition as people voice their concerns about making ends meet over the winter to Thomas Swann.

Local campaigning - Irvine

Campsie Comrades spent Wednesday helping the Ayrshire Scottish Socialist Party with streetwork on Fuel prices and Free Public Transport.

Full article here
Angry Irvine residents mob the SSP stall. For most of the time during the stall the Irvine comrades were swamped with people three deep, clamouring to tell their stories of fuel hardship imposed by the profiteers and to sign the petition.



Denise Morton from Irvine mans the stall.


The streetwork and stall were extremely successful - the Campsie members had a wonderful reception from the Ayrshire comrades and the Irvine people. A day to remember!


It was difficult forPhotographer, Rikki Reid to get a shot of the table as it was constantly busy from the moment it was set up, to the time we decided to call it a day! As Denise says in the press release on the SSP main site, “Irvine has definitely rejected the policies of the New Labour project.”