Breakthrough in Scotland

Submitted by martin on 16 May, 2003 - 9:45

By Angela Paton
The SSP made spectacular gains in the Scottish Parliament elections with six MSPs elected under the regional list system (a method of proportional representation). The Greens won seven seats. (There were 250,000 votes for the SSP and Greens in the list). Margo McDonald, former SNP, now independent, won, as did Dr Jean Turner, for the Save Stobhill Hospital campaign - who took the Labour-held constituency seat of Strathkelvin and Bearsden. Dennis Canavan was re-elected as an independent in Falkirk, with again the biggest majority in the Parliament. A pensioners' campaigner won a list seat in Central Scotland.
Labour's vote fell by 4% and the SNP lost eight of the seats it held in the last Parliament - a fall of 5%.
Even in the first past the post constituencies, the SSP won 6.2% of the vote, with Tommy Sheridan winning 28% in Pollok, Glasgow.
Tommy Sheridan and Rosie Kane, now dubbed "Citizen Kane" and lambasted in the mainstream Tory rags for wearing jeans at the swearing-in ceremony, were elected in Glasgow, with 16% of the vote, 1% less than the SNP.
Colin Fox was elected in Lothians - lambasted in the media as Red Fox, for choosing to sing Robert Burns's "A man's a man for a' that" when taking his oath; other victors were Carolyn Leckie, Unison branch convenor of Glasgow North Hospitals NHS Trust and leader of the recent strikes there; Frances Curran, in West of Scotland and Rosemary Byrne in South of Scotland. Keith Baldassara won Sheridan's former council seat in the North Pollok ward of Glasgow.
The bad news was that John McAllion, the socialist Labour MSP, failed to win re-election and lost out to the SNP. The SSP had taken a decision not to stand against McAllion. Some in the Labour Party actually cheered when it was announced that he had lost his seat.
Labour now have no overall control of the Parliament and have to go into coalition with the Liberal Democrats. They are now thrashing out the terms of that coalition. Interesting to note that the head negotiator for New Labour is one Cathy Jamieson, formerly in the Socialist Campaign Group. My, how times change.
The SSP have definitely ruled out a red-green alliance, but will work with parties on an issue-by-issue basis.
There's no doubt that the SSP have had a fantastic victory, but how did this come about? Many acknowledge the regional list system of PR enabled us to gain six seats, but we shouldn't downplay the enormous amount of work put in by all in the party in the run up to the election, and indeed since the last election. The SSP is seen as a credible alternative, unlike socialist counterparts in England.
The question of left unity is also key. Apart from Scargill's Socialist Labour Party and one ICWA appearance, we have worked hard at left unity in Scotland and it's paid off. That situation just isn't likely in England, with the SWP using the Socialist Alliance as a front organisation in the same way that they use the Anti-Nazi League. The SWP did not join the SSP until recently.
The SSP now has the potential to make an impact in the Scottish Parliament, and improve the lives of working class Scottish people - we have potentially 12 private members' bills. The SSP will keep on campaigning to get free school meals for all children, the scrapping of the council tax and replacement with a Scottish Service Tax and an end to PFI.
As Rosie Kane said at the SSP election party: "We're going to put the rood in Holyrood!"

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