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.”
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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."

Vote SSP Against Poverty and War

Article from the Scottish Socialist Voice.

SSP members chose local party activist and Lothians Regional Organiser Steven Nimmo to fight the Livingston by-election at a meeting held in Craigshill last week.

Steven is 27 and lives in Bridgend with his partner Mandy and her son Callum.

Steven said:

“I am honoured to be selected to represent the SSP in this election. This by election gives the people of Livingston the chance to pass judgement on the Blair government over issues such as Iraq as well as highlighting many local issues without the (false) threat of the Tories getting in (which ones you might well ask!).”

“We’ll be campaigning on local issues in Livingston, we have a public meeting in Craigshill on Wednesday (7th Sept) over the issue of cuts in fire cover at Livingston fire station and this will certainly be an issue at the forefront of our work. The stalls we have already held on the issue have shown the public outrage at these cuts. There is, of course, the ongoing threat of further cuts to hospital services at St. John’s as well as our opposition to the new private prison in Addiewell.”

“Another string to our bow will be the war in Iraq – the SSP is the only party that has consistently opposed the war in Iraq and calls for the troops to be brought home now. A vote for the SSP in this election is vote against the Iraq war and is a vote against the lies of Tony Blair.”

“Our campaign will also centre around our proposals which will affect the people of Livingston’s lives on a day to day basis. Throughout the campaign I aim to bring into focus our flagship policies of scrapping the council tax, abolishing prescription charges and for the introduction of free nutritious school meals. With these things in mind I’m asking the people of Livingston, not just to vote against Blair and his lies but to vote for the kind of society they want to live in. I believe that most people agree with us on the need for wealth redistribution and a fairer society and ask them to send that message to Tony Blair, Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond.”

SSP selects candidate for Livingston by election

SSP selects candidate for Livingston by election

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 01/09/05

The Scottish Socialist Party last night selected it’s candidate for the forthcoming Livingston by election following the death of the local MP Robin Cook.

Steven Nimmo is 27 and is currently Regional Organiser for the Scottish Socialist Party in the Lothians.
Steven has lived in West Lothian all his life, brought up in Torphichen he went to the local primary school then went to Bathgate Academy.
Steven left school at 16 to pursue his love of the countryside at Borders College where he studied gamekeeping and habitat management.

Steven has previously worked for Grampian Country Foods where he helped recruit new members to the Transport and General Workers Union and more recently worked in the laundry at St. John’s hospital.
At St. John’s Steven was a Unison shop steward where he actively fought against the use of agency staff in the NHS and also fought to change Unison, at St. John’s with the first election of a shop steward in the laundry for fifteen years taking place.

Steven was active in attempting to unionise workplaces across West Lothian, including Motorola, the closure of which was one of the first campaigns he was involved in.
In 2002 Steven was at the forefront of organising the campaign against West Lothian Council’s inflation busting £5 per week rent rise. As part of this campaign he organised and spoke at public meetings across West Lothian culminating in a Rally in Bathgate of over 300 people.

More recently Steven has been involved in campaigns against the proposed private prison in Addiewell, cuts at St. John’s hospital and cuts in the Fire service locally.

Steven said today;
“It is an honour to be chosen by the SSP to fight the Livingston by election.
“The SSP will be taking our message of an independent socialist Scotland, defence of the NHS, opposition to cuts in public services and opposition to the Iraq war to the people of Livingston and looking to build on the support we have in the constituency.”

Scottish Socialist Party national convenor Colin Fox added;
“Steven will make a great candidate for the SSP in the Livingston by election, he is a real antidote to the establishment politicians that the public have become so cynical about.
“Steven has a great track record fighting for the people of West Lothian, particularly in relation to St Johns hospital.”
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