Alan McCombes on election result

Click here for election analysis from Alan McCombes:

We fought in hope, and we got beat. Big time.
But last Thursday’s electoral rout does not mean that the Scottish Socialist Party is a spent force, or that we’re about to implode for months on end to indulge in self recrimination and doubt before tentatively hitting the streets again.
While the media lens was turned on the race for Holyrood, time didn’t stop and life went on inexorably, the rich getting that little bit richer while the poor got poorer, the private sector expanding while public sector waiting lists sprawled off the end of the page, luxury flats going up while council housing came down, war raging while peace foundered, people dying of excess while others were wasted through want.
And just as surely as this goes on, so too does our fight for the radical alternative.

More on the SSP main website - click here:

East Dunbartonshire Council election results

Click here for East Dunbartonshire Council results:

EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE PLAN

The East Dunbartonshire Council are asking for comments for the new Local Plan.

Please go to their site and read what they are wanting comment on and LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR AREA!

Developers will be lobbying the council in order to make as much money as possible, so make sure East Dunbartonshire does not become a place where profit is given more importance than the people of the area. Think about what young people need. Pensioners. Unemployed. What do you think Council policy on Public Transport should be? Health? Town Centres? Housing?

This is an opportunity to lobby the council on issues that pertain to People, not Profit!

Please look up our recent manifesto for help on issues you may want to lobby the council.

Click on the map for the East Dunbartonshire website dedicated to the plan documents. Click on the picture of our manifesto to read what we envisage for Scotland.

From Campsie Branch Organisers

Well done all of the SSP comrades who worked their socks off during this election. Unfortunately this was not our election. Changes in the electoral system and a surge of votes for the SNP have meant the SSP as well as other small parties, have been squeezed out.

A year is a long, long time in politics. A year ago we were riding high and had ambitions for more seats and for a plethora of council seats. And a year ago we in Scotland on the left were hoping Tommy Sheridan would not take the path he had planned. We hoped that sense would prevail from him and the groups around him. This was not to happen. Egged on by the SWP and CWI, and other individuals, Sheridan set about the destruction of the gains the left had made in 2003.

The verdict? Tommy’s foray into the courts and his subsequent slandering of SSP colleagues has meant the decimation of the left in this years elections. This is a disgrace, and all of those who surrounded and advised, or at worst encouraged this man should be disgraced in the eyes of the left.

The only way is up, comrades, and we should ensure the socialist message is still on the streets for the next four years.

The SSP is a party of integrity, and we will be back into the Parliament, though the Parliament should not be our priority. Our priority is working to help people and facilitate the Socialist message.

We have work to do – and that work starts now.

Neil Scott
Pamela Page
Campsie Branch SSP Organisers

VOTE FOR THE SSP TEAM IN WEST OF SCOTLAND AND EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE...

Place an X beside Scottish Socialist Party, Pamela Page for your regional MSP.

Read more about Pamela here:

http://eastdunbartonshiressp.blogspot.com/2007/04/introducing-west-of-scotlands-ssp.html

Council Candidates
More information about your candidates here:

http://eastdunbartonshiressp.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

Willie Telfer, East Kirkintilloch and Twechar

Neil Scott, Bearsden North

Bill Newman, Milngavie

Moira Brown, Lenzie and Kirkintilloch South

The RIGHT side of the road!

WE STAND TOGETHER!

Well comrades, it's been a brilliant campaign. We've delivered 100,000s of bulletins, and collectively campaigned our socks off! I couldnae be prouder of everyone and every word in our 'People not Profit' manifesto.

So much positive has come out of this campaign. Personally, I've got to know some really amazing people who would walk from here to the end of the earth for other people and the party has really pulled together. We've lots to celebrate!

We are The Party setting the political agenda.

Election Day will come and go but we'll still be here fighting shoulder to shoulder in our communities for a better world. We've done it all in good humour and real 'solidarity'. That, my friends means we're already on the winning side.

We'll be having a get together 'Doon the watter' on the Waverley on the 27th May and a BBQ in Mugdock in June. Be there!

Tuesday

Pam, Wullie and I leafleted Wullie's council ward of Craigton. Our sitting councillor Keith Baldessara's ward has been split in two, but his popularity should help in this new ward and hopefully get Rosie support too. He's easily the hardest working councillor in Glasgow. His record is inspiring. Like Jim Bolan in Renton it really shows what a socialist can do if elected.

It was a scorcher today and we put in a serious shift before heading for a smashing wee Italian cafe for fuel! After lunch the socialist 'gods' were shining on us when we bumped into George McNeilage who joined in our efforts. Halfing our work in the process. Wot a gem that man is!

Monday

Met Pam and Frances at Buchanan street bus station at 8am to campaign on our free public transport policy. We had a stall and leafleted until about 930. Then we headed off to pick up a few things in Stanley street and Wullie McGartland joined us to campaign on free school meals in Cardonald.

Although it was sunny, it was freezing in the wind and Frances and myself used that as the excuse for how ravenous we were all day. Though how she managed to sneak a gigantic yum yum out of greggs without me seeing i'll never know! We also leafleted the college before doing a stall in a different area of the Cardonald in the afternoon. We were really well received and a few folk said that they would like to rejoin the party. Brilliant!


Sunday

In the evening it was the hustings at st mary's church on home turf in Kirkintilloch. About 100 folk came along with the constituency candidates, ourselves and UKIP.

I was chuffed that a few of my students and their parents turned up in support.

I was chatting, as you do, with the other candidates before it and Stephanie from the Tories said that she had been interviewed about the election. She apparently said that she had learned from the most 'surprising of people' and name checked me! Then went on to say how she admired the fact that I was able to speak without fear or notes in some quite middle class environments. It was nice of her to say and she's a decent enough wumman but i'll let her intae a secret..... It's easy when you believe in what you're saying.

SSP candidates are not in this as a career move. We've the small matter of the world to change and will do so whether we're inside or outside the parley! Millions of people around the world agree and share this passion for justice and equality.

It's a shame for the other candidates, they may have paid agency workers to wear their garb and do the canvassing for them, but we have real comrades who make huge sacrifices for each other in a shared belief in humanity and the fight for a better world. That gives you amazing confidence.


In the morning I met with some of the other women SSP candidates to highlight the invisible nature of women and women's oppression in this election and politics generally. The SSP aims to take this seriously. We have a 50/50 policy in terms of our candidates, we are also working towards more inclusive methods of organising. We also have real demands. Listed below are some of our commitments. I am particularly proud of our progressive policy on prostitution. The Herald covered the story on Monday. Makes a change from constantly judging women politicians by their appearance. ( Though it must be said i'm on a mercy dash to the hairdressers on Thursday to get my roots done!)

We agreed to hold event at the Sandyford Initiative, 2-6 Sandyford Place, Sauchiehall St., in Glasgow at 12 midday. We want to highlight the demands below but also campaign for more and better non judgemental and supportive services for women.

We will have purpose made banners and a giant women's symbol and boards with our agreed priorities taken and and adapted from the manifesto in this order:

1. The decriminalisation of women involved in prostitution
2. Increased resources to enable a clamp down on kerb crawlers, teh closure of saunas, massage parlours and lap dancing clubs which operate as legalised brothels.
3. Free emergency contraception available across the NHS and pharmacies and women's centres regardless of where women live and equal access to women's health services, including non judgemental support, information and services for women who want terminations.
4. Greater funding for women's aid and other agencies which provide services for women who experience men's violence, abuse, rape and child sexual abuse.
5. Equal access for all women to fertility and insemination services.
6. A minimum of 12 months maternity leave, on full pay for public sector workersd, with the right to return part time. (with full powers over employment that should apply to all workers)
7. Free, publicly funded nursery places for all pre school children.
8. After school weekend and holiday clubs in every locality for school age children
9. Full implemenatation of equal pay in the public sector by levelling up, not down, including full settlement of back money owed. Equal pay is a right not a negotiation.
10. Free environmentally friendly sanitary protection for all women.

We are here between elections...

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HOW TO MAKE SURE THE SSP REPRESENT YOU AFTER MAY 3rd

HOW TO VOTE ON THURSDAY

Paper ONE - SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

1.Voters use the first ballot paper to elect members of the Scottish Parliament. Your MSP's. This is where we vote to get Pamela Page into the Parliament as a representative of the Working Class - the other parties all represent the world of business and the millionaires.

2. The left side of the ballot paper is peach, the right side is lilac

3. You get two votes on this ballot paper

4. The peach side is where you choose your regional MSPs. This is where you will find Pamela Page - put your X beside Scottish Socialist Party - Pamela Page.

5. The lilac side is where you choose your constituency MSP.

6. If you do not want to vote for any of the constituency choices (the SSP are not standing in the constituency vote) - leave it blank. IF YOU SPOIL ANY PART OF YOUR PAPER IT INVALIDATES BOTH BITS!!

7. Do not fold the ballot paper when you put it into the appropriate box

Paper TWO - COUNCIL

1. Voters use the second ballot to elect their local councillor. In EAST Dunbartonshire, your SSP Choices are in Bearsden North, Neil Scott; In Milngavie, Bill Newman; in East Kirkintilloch and Twechar, Willie Telfer and in Lenzie and South Kirkintilloch, Moira Brown.

2. This is the white ballot paper

3. You do not use a cross for this vote

4. You number the candidates in order of preference 1 for SSP candidate and 2,3 etc for any other candidates you feel will promote social justice. You can only place the number 1 on the ballot paper if you like.

5. You can mark as many or as few as you like, but you must use numbers not an x

7. Do not fold the ballot paper when you put it into the appropriate box

Red Greenock, the Beach and the Workers Wage...

SSP Women Candidates...

PAMELA ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL (AND THE SHOWS!)

Tuesday 16th
Twechar Beach invasion!
As you already know we called a public meeting on housing in the village.
200 council houses are due to be demolished by the council, despite them
refusing the tenants a vote on the issue! Only 80 houses for social rent
will replace them, as well as another 40 that will be partly privatised at
more expensive rents. This is not a housing solution for the people, this is
for private profit.

The meeting was great. 60 people attended despite Man U being on the telly!
We made it clear that, in true Freire style, that we were there to listen and
offer our assitance to their campaign. It is a credit to the SSP that we
have arranged a housing surgery and another meeting for the Saturday and
Tuesday AFTER the election. We are in this for the long haul, because we are
part of these communities not parachuted in at election times.


Thursday 19th
Bearsden Churches hustings

This was the same day that the Poverty Alliance launched their manifesto and
I made it clear that our People not Profit manifesto is the only solution to
poverty and inequality. Other parties think cutting poverty by X% is
laudable, whereas we refuse to accept poverty at all in an oil rich nation!

Linda and I turned up to what was a very well attended (about 250 people)
hustings at kessington hall. It had a kinda dynasty ring to it and I was
disappointed to find that Blake and Crystal didnae appear....

There was the constituency candidates, including my first brush with the
Christian party as well as ourselves and the greens from the list.

Linda felt that I was well received on most issues. Questions ranged from
the state of the NHS, including the junior doctors' contract fiasco, to
which I responded by saying that it is indicative of what happens when we
allow Pirate Privateers who know the cost of everything but the value of
nothing to run our services.

I also trumpeted our free public transport policy in response to a question
on climate change but was surprised to find the green candidate rubbishing
our policy. From what I can gather their alternative is to install solar
panels on their four by fours!! Less than half of carbon emissions are
caused by individuals and it is a falacy to think that capitalism can have a
caring side that will save our environment. They talk the talk but don't
walk the walk. It seems they are sacred of offending business interests.
Everyone knows Radical Action is needed. I want to live in a Scotland that
has the guts to stand against the corporate greed that is destroying the
planet and take positive action to save it, not rely on the goodwill of
giant multinationals. But hey ho that's why I'm in the SSP not the Green
party.

Least said about our Christian candidate the better suffice to say he thinks
that the crisis in the NHS is due to moral decline, abortion rates and
teachers handing out condoms willy nilly. He was given short shrift by the
audience. It takes aw sorts right enough.

One man directly asked the New Labour candidate about the illegal war in Iraq.
To which he waffled that it wasn't illegal but said he knew it was 'a bit of
a mess'. I asked to be able to respond and got great applause when I said
that the 600,000 dead Iraqis and the over 100 British soldiers wouldn't
think it was a bit of a mess! And that it was sheer hypocrisy to have a
pre-emptive strike on a country under the guise of them having weapons of
mass destruction when our very own weapons of mass destruction are lurking
on the Clyde.

The night didn't finish till well after ten and I was feeling a bit jiggered
with working this week but managed to rouse myself to make a few points in
my closing remarks. Namely that I was delighted to see the other parties
falling over themselves during the election to support the SSP's demand for
the scrapping of the hated council tax but wondered why when they had the
opportunity to get rid of it in the Parley they refused. It's just another
example of how the SSP have been the conscience of the parliament, shaping
the agenda on free prescriptions, free nutritious school meals and asylum to
mention a few issues that we have campaigned for week in week out. Not just
in the few weeks in the run up to an election.

I ended by saying that if elected I wouldn't disappear into the cosy parley
atmosphere. I would follow Frances before me on the streets, picket lines,
taking direct action at Faslane and wherever else, fighting injustice,
shoulder to shoulder with working class people in our communities. Refusing
to take the 53,000 salary that Msps and 5% of the population earn.

Vote Pamela Page on a worker's wage!

At the end of the hustings a young man came up to the platform to shake my
hand and say hello. I got a tremendous boost when he said that he was
thinking of voting for Sheridan but had changed his mind during the hustings
and was voting for us! Integrity Indeed.


Saturday 28th

Greenock

Pam, Davy and I campaigned in Greenock today, which has become the Petrograd
of the West in recent weeks. We did a stall on the council tax and were well
received. I was delighted that three people asked about joining. One woman
asked who we were and said " Brilliant I was asked earlier on by another
'socialist' party and said No I want to join the SSP!' Welcome comrade!

We made a wee trip to the shows by the shore... long story photeez to
follow... but needless to say our national secretary is certainly a risk
taker. Don't know if Al Green would have went on some of those rides. I
stuck to the tame waltser type extravaganza but think i'm a land lubber to
be honest.

Greenock is the business though, my nana is from there and Davy Landels is
no bad either! the Mighty Morton have won the league too so lots to
celebrate!

Our Campsie comrades were out campaigning locally. Busy week ahead but i've
taken a weeks unpaid leave so dying to get stuck in!

LETTER TO SUPPORTERS IN WEST OF SCOTLAND

This is a letter all members and lapsed members of the SSP will receive in East Dunbartonshire. Click on the image to read it...