Vote for the Party of Action

Scottish Socialist Party candidates in both Scottish by elections will spend the last campaigning day before polling day taking the message of the SSP as the party of action to the electorate.
While other parties shadow box on the council tax the SSP has acted and has a bill in the Holyrood parliament to abolish the hated tax and replace it with an income based Scottish Service tax which would shift the cost of services to the better off.
A major campaign is also continuing to win free school meals for Scotland’s school students and a bill to abolish NHS prescription charges has been laid before the parliament by Colin Fox, SSP national convenor.

Independent MSP Campbell Martin has called for a vote for the SSP in both the Westminster by election in Livingston and the Cathcart Scottish Parliament seat, saying that the last thing the electorate needs is another New Labour party, a reference to the SNP’s further moves to the right.

Speaking at a press conference in Glasgow on Tuesday, Campbell Martin said;
“Based on the outcome of last week's SNP conference and that party's continued move to the right it is now clear that the best candidates for people in Cathcart and Livingston are Ronnie Stevenson and Steven Nimmo of the Scottish Socialist Party.
“They are the only people putting forward policies in these two elections which are in the best interests of working people in Scotland.
“It is not in the interests of voters in Cathcart and Livingston to have another New Labour candidate which is what the SNP has become.”

Colin Fox, SSP national convenor, said;
“The Scottish Socialist Party is the party of action in Scottish politics.
“While the SNP and Lib Dems pay lip service to abolishing the council tax and NHS prescription charges, the SSP has delivered bills in the Scottish Parliament that will turn these promises into reality.
“The SSP appeals to all those who support the socialist principles we fight for every day of the week to come out and support us at the polls.”
[ends]

SSP suspends campaigning in Livingston by election after sudden death

SSP suspends campaigning in Livingston by election after sudden death.

The Scottish Socialist Party today announced that it has suspended
campaigning for the immediate future in the Livingston by election following
the sudden and tragic death of Bill Lebrun, election agent for the SSP
candidate Steven Nimmo.

Scottish Socialist Party national convenor Colin Fox said today;
"This is a terrible loss for the family of Bill Lebrun and we would ask the
media to respect the family's privacy at this difficult time.
"The SSP has suspended campaigning for the immediate future in the by
election as a mark of respect to the family."

NHS Lothian Chief writes to candidate

NHS Lothian Chair Brian Cavanagh has written to candidates in the Livingston by-election regarding St. John's Hospital. His letter and Steven's reply are reprinted here.


Dear Mr Nimmo,

I am writing to all the candidates in the election following reports in the media about St John’s Hospital and it is important to set the record straight.

Firstly, as we said in our consultation last year, St John’s plays a key role in providing a very wide range of services to patients across Lothian. Not only do we plan to treat even more patients at St John’s but services that were once provided in Edinburgh will now be available at St John’s. Central to all our plans has been the need to maintain high quality, safe clinical services. That is why the Board supported the move of trauma orthopaedics and emergency general surgery from St John’s last year.

In addition, during the consultation we gave an absolute commitment to the A & E Department at St John’s. That has not changed, and has been augmented by the addition of an observation unit for surgical assessment.

St John’s will also be awarded teaching hospital status and the NHS Lothian Board will be discussing this important issue at our Board meeting on 28 September. Enclosed is a copy of our press release from November 2004 which sets out in more detail our plans to secure the future of St John’s as a key part of NHS Lothian’s acute hospital services. These plans were endorsed by NHS Lothian Board in January this year and they have also now been agreed by Andy Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care on 26 July including the transfer of all in-patient and most daycase ENT surgery to St John’s Hospital to support the creation of a Head and Neck Unit there.

I hope you fully appreciate the reasons for me writing to you which also follows representations from a number of staff at St John’s who have been concerned by statements about the longterm viability of St John’s. I wanted to clarify this issue at the very start to avoid staff becoming more concerned.

Yours sincerely,
BRIAN CAVANAGH
CHAIRMAN
NHS LOTHIAN

Steven's reply

18/09/05

Dear Mr Cavanagh

Thank you for your recent letter regarding St John’s hospital. As a former employee and Unison shop steward at St. John’s I know it well and still have connections with my former work mates there.

I am sure that you are aware that my position is quite clear regarding St John’s, whilst the SSP welcomed the consultation held by NHS Lothian it has become clear that it was an undemocratic sham – mere window dressing. You refused to take on board the views of the West Lothian Community regarding Trauma Orthopaedic and Acute General Surgery.

We want these essential services to be provided in local communities when they are needed, and not counter pose one hospital against another.

The people of Livingston are currently involved in another consultation regarding cuts, this time to our fire service, and as you can imagine, we are sceptical about the outcome as we were not listened to regarding St John’s despite thousands turning up at the various meetings.

It is for these reasons that we find it hard to believe anything that NHS Lothian say regarding St John’s. Any future attempt by you to wield the axe over St. John’s in the future will be opposed by this community. You have proven that your ears are closed to the wishes of local people we will therefore continue to campaign for:

Democratically elected health boards.
Against further cuts at St John’s.
For the return of stolen acute services

Yours sincerely,

Steven Nimmo
Scottish Socialist Party
Candidate for Livingston

Steven's statement to West Lothian Courier

This forthcoming by-election offers us the chance to send out a strong message that the policies of Labour: of cutbacks in our local services, of low pay, of privatisation, of inequality and poverty and of war, are abhorrent and unacceptable. It also offers the chance to vote for a party, the SSP, which unashamedly proposes to redistribute wealth from rich to poor. The SSP, unlike all the other main parties, urge an alternative to the free-market economy that results in one third of our pensioners and one quarter of our children living in poverty. We don’t just talk of change. Our anger at the injustices that exist in the world energises us to fight for change. This energy has seen the SSP at the forefront of local campaigns:
Against the cuts at St John’s (pushed through by a Labour appointed quango)
Against the very dangerous proposals to cut fire cover in Livingston: both of which will lead to fatalities!
We are also taking action in the Scottish Parliament to fight for:
Free Nutritious School Meals
Scrapping the unfair Council Tax and replacing it with a Scottish service tax aimed at making the rich pay their share
The abolition of prescription charges.
We have also campaigned against the Iraq war. A war, based on lies, that has saw death and destruction in Iraq, and made the world a more dangerous place.
Like our six MSPs, I reject the fatcat salary of an MP and pledge to be a worker’s MP on a worker’s wage.

Pensions outrage

SSP candidate for Livingston denounced today’s reports that New Labour was intending to press ahead with 5 year increases to the retirement age, saving £7billion, despite pre-election pledges to look again at the proposals. As Alan Johnston, the Pensions minister, prepared to outline his proposals to the TUC conference.

Steven Nimmo said.

“We feared at the time that New Labour only put its plans for pensions to the backburner simply for electoral purposes. Sadly it seems we may have proven right and that public sector workers here in Livingston and elsewhere will work longer and for less money, a scandalous state of affairs. This time, however, their plans may come unstuck for I think the public have more savvy than Blair gives them credit for, an attack on public sector pensions will prove unpopular either side of an election.”

“Their plans for public sector pensions once again demonstrate just whose side this Labour government is on. As the fourth richest country in the world with our economy supposedly getting stronger we have the means to provide all of our pensioners with an early and prosperous retirement. To do so, however, would mean New Labour annoying its big business friends by redistributing their enormous wealth to the majority in society; something that they have continually refused to do since coming into power. In fact, the public sector pension rip off reinforces once again the fact that Labour no longer represents the working people of Livingston, or anywhere else in the country for that matter”.

SSP candidate slams sweat shop tactics of Sky

The Scottish Socialist Party candidate for Livingston, Steven Nimmo, is outraged at reports of workers at the Sky call centre in Livingston being restricted in the amount of time they can spend going to the toilet.

Steven said:

“Reports today that Sky workers can only spend 8 minutes per day in the toilet is an absolute scandal. This type of thing belongs in a Dickens novel.”

“This is just another example of the bully boy tactics used by companies like Sky which are vehemently anti-trade union.”

“Having been involved in helping to unionise factories across Livingston I know of the threats and intimidation used by Sky to prevent trade unions from organising in the call centre.”

“The time has most certainly come to repeal Thatcher’s anti-union laws and allow workers to organise in places like Sky without fear of losing their jobs. All of our politicians should support the workers in Sky and encourage them to join a trade union in order to combat these ridiculous management tactics.”

“There are many good reasons why someone may need to go to the toilet, in particular for women. People shouldn’t be forced to work in conditions akin to a battery farm.”

Tommy Sheridan backs strikers

Tommy and Steven outside the Scottish Parliament
Dear brothers and sisters

I write to express the solidarity of myself, my suspended colleagues Frances Curran MSP, Carolyn Leckie MSP and Rosie Kane MSP and the entire Scottish Socialist Party with your strike action against your employer FirstBus in Edinburgh and Central Scotland.

Colin Fox MSP, who I believe visited your picket line this morning, has explained to us the reasonable and justified demands you are making on your employers in relation to your pay and conditions. We fully support your pay claim of £9 an hour plus £600 in back monies, along with a reduction in your working week. Yours is a very stressful and responsible job and there is no good reason why you should be paid less, or do more hours than the drivers on Lothian Regional Transport who are doing exactly the same job for much better pay and conditions.

It is the duty of all socialists and trade unionists to support workers who are in struggle for better pay and conditions and we are confident that if you stand firm and united, you will achieve a much better deal for your members than is currently the case. Progress has never been made by taking the easy option and your struggle will ensure better wages and conditions for the future.

Yours in solidarity




MOTION to Scottish Parliament


That the Parliament notes the strike action taken by Transport & General Workers’ Union members employed by FirstBus Edinburgh and Midland in the Lothians and Central Scotland; believes that the bus drivers’ pay and conditions are amongst the lowest in the country; supports the men and women who have reluctantly taken strike action in pursuit of an £8 per hour wage rate and improved pay and conditions; hopes that negotiations between the company and TGWU can be successfully concluded ahead of the next planned stoppage on 24th and 25th September; believes it is time that the rate for the job was standardised across the company’s operations in Scotland with improved conditions and a reduction in the average working week spent driving.


TOMMY SHERIDAN MSP

13 September 2005

Socialist Candidate revisits pickets

After last week’s visit to the First Bus depot picket line, Steven Nimmo, the SSP candidate in the Livingston by-election and Colin Fox the SSP national convener are again intending to tomorrow visit the striking workers at the First Bus Livingston depot.

Steven Nimmo said

“We visited the picket lines last week to express our support to these workers and we are going do so again tomorrow. The bus drivers we are going to see do an important and necessary job. Is it too much to ask that First Bus, a huge company, settle with these workers giving them a fair wage, with no dilution of their existing terms and conditions? Especially when one considers the exorbitant wages that their managers and managing directors earn”.

“Unlike the other Parties, who unanimously agree that it is desirable and inevitable that workers on the front line earn low wages, while at the same time having their working conditions deteriorate, the SSP stands alone for the ordinary worker in saying enough is enough. The first bus workers, and working people generally, deserve dignity and fairness at work and its high time that employers both in the private and public sector recognized this. We support the first bus workers striving to achieve this and will of course continue to do so”.

Colin Fox added.

“We are going to visit tomorrow to once again reiterate our support for the Bus Drivers of First Bus who once again feel it necessary to strike, losing a days wages in the process. . It goes without saying that I, Steven and the wider SSP will give every support in helping these important workers get the settlement that they deserve”

SSP candidate in free fruit giveaway!

Steven & Frances take a break from campaigning in the Almondvale to discuss the free school meals bill


The Scottish Socialist Party candidate for Livingston, Steven Nimmo, and SSP MSPs Frances Curran & Colin Fox will be highlighting Frances’ Free School Meals bill in Livingston by giving away free fruit to everyone who shows their support for the bill.

Steven said:

“Whilst the SSP prides itself on its’ vision of a future society we are also fighting to change people’s lives now.”

“Our health record in Scotland is one of the worst in Europe and our proposal to introduce free nutritious school meals for all our school children will, at least, make a start in improving that record.”

“The other political parties like to posture about fighting poverty but when given a chance to tackle poverty they invariable don’t take it.”

“Throughout this election campaign we are challenging Labour, SNP and the Liberals to nail their colours to the mast. Do they support the introduction of free school meals? Do they support the abolition of the Council Tax? Do they support an NHS free at the point of delivery? If so they will support the SSP’s bills in the Scottish Parliament. If not then we know that they are not serious about fighting poverty.”

Frances Curran MSP added:

“On Saturday we are asking people across Livingston to sign our petition in support of the bill to provide free nutritious school meals for all our children, in return we’ll provide people with a free nutritious piece of fruit.”

“This bill goes to the heart of improving health and fighting poverty in Scotland and I’m sure that everyone at Livingston shopping centre on Saturday will agree.”

The SSP plan to have a stall/s at Livingston Almondvale and Broxburn Main St from 12noon on Saturday 17th September.

SSP open campaign headquarters

The Scottish Socialist Party opened a campaign headquarters in Craigshill Mall on Friday.

Steven Nimmo, SSP candidate in the Livingston by-election, said:

“The people of Craigshill have shown us their support in past elections so it is a natural place for us to pick for our election office.”

“This is the first time we’ve had an election office in West Lothian and already we’ve had people come in to discuss our proposals to scrap the council tax and to introduce free school meals as well our opposition to the cuts in the fire service.”

“We have a long term commitment to building the SSP into a party that represents the ordinary people of West Lothian and anyone who wants to speak to us about this election or any other matter even if it doesn’t relate to the election can find us there between 10am and 4pm each day.”

The SSP election HQ is situated in Craigshill Shopping Mall.

Socialist candidate visits pickets!

Socialist candidate visits pickets!

SSP candidate for Livingston, Steven Nimmo, visited the picket line at the First Bus depot in Livingston with Colin Fox MSP this morning (07/09/05).

Steven said:

“The bus drivers’ claim is a fair one and it is ridiculous that they are forced to strike in order to win the pay rise they deserve. They provide a service to our communities that we all use and at times suffer from horrendous abuse. First Group is a multi £billion multi national that could quite easily afford to pat their workers the wage they have asked for without any strings attached.”

“There are not many things in life that are black or white but strikes are one of the exceptions you are either with the workers or with the bosses. The absence of Labour or the SNP from today’s picket line shows they are on the sided of the bosses. Any semblance of them representing ordinary people is gone.”

“As a candidate in this election my days are very busy but one thing is for sure I’ll be standing outside Deans depot on Tuesday morning beside workers in struggle. It is down to Jim Devine and Angela Constance to decide whose side they are on.”

Colin Fox added

“I was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent people like the First Bus drivers and appreciated the time they gave us this morning. Whilst I am banned from the Scottish Parliament I’ll be asking my colleague, Tommy Sheridan, to raise this dispute in the parliament.”

“We can be both on the benches and, in this case, on the picket lines.”