21.09.1995

SWP shares Labour’s Dundee health shame

AS THE candidate in the Lochee West by-election in Dundee, I was encouraged by the response which we received on the doorsteps. People were happy to hear that one of the parties in the election placed the working class at the top of its list of priorities.

Some could not believe that the Labour Party would abandon the 300 workers about to be made redundant by the DRI closure; they could not believe that the Labour Party would not fight for the workers subjugated to short-term contracts, low wages, poor conditions, part-time jobs, etc, which is what is entailed when contracts are continually put out to tender.

But there we have it - the voice of New Labour working on local issues. For us the fight to keep the DRI continues. We will be marching on September 23 on the demonstration from DRI to the town centre.

Something which I found disappointing was the ridiculous position which the Socialist Workers Party has found itself in. Given a choice between a communist candidate who opposes the hospital closure and a Labour Party candidate whose silence tells us everything, the SWP line was to vote Labour. If they march with us on Saturday they are hypocrites.

Lochee West results

1363 votes cast (41.06% turn-out)

Scottish Labour                            993
Scottish National Party                  245
Scottish Conservative                     96
CPGB                                            27

Dominic Handley