20.06.1996

Alliance election battle in Scotland

The Scottish Socialist Alliance is fighting its first election on June 27. John Davies of Scottish Militant Labour is standing in the Invergordon ward of the Highlands council. Mary Ward, SLP member in Dundee, spoke to him

Can you give us some background to the election and tell us what the main issues are?

The election has come about by the death of a long standing independent councillor who had held the seat for 32 years. It is a strong working class area based around the aluminium smelting works and more latterly the oil fabrication yard.

The Highlands council is carrying out cutbacks imposed by the Tory government’s constraints. Already five schools have been confirmed for closure, with another 34 under threat. On top of this 11 primary school teachers’ jobs are going to be lost. The fire brigade has a shortfall of £500,000 on its budget and four care homes for the elderly are going to be closed.

What is the employment situation like?

Unemployment is at astronomical levels. Whereas the Nigg oil fabrication yard a couple of miles up the road used to employ several thousand workers, it now has 250 workers left and it is due for closure in July 1997.

What is the manifesto you are standing on?

It is basically pointing out that the reasons the cutbacks are being made is because the council are not truly representing the interests of the people. They are not standing up to the government and saying ‘We cannot deliver services on such a pittance.’

The campaign against water privatisation is an important issue here. Surprisingly, although the assets have been stolen from the council, they have been left with the debts. The councillors don’t have the assets to realise the money they still have to pay off. The actual amount of debt that is owed on the water and sewerage equates pound for pound with the cutbacks. If they refuse to pay the debt, then they don’t have to impose any of these cutbacks.

Have you just concentrated on local issues?

The implementation of the JSA in our area will mean postal signing being changed drastically. Job centres such as Invergordon are under threat and eventually it might mean that people have to travel 30 miles into Inverness to sign on.

We have pushed for a minimum wage and a sovereign Scottish parliament. This must have real teeth and not be a halfway house like Labour are proposing or this pretentious ‘Independence in Europe’ slogan of the SNP.

Can you tell me a bit about your own political history?

I joined the Labour Party in Inverness and was a delegate to the constituency Labour Party. I had a massive falling out due to my standing up for people’s rights in council housing. I was not a member of any faction at the time but faced expulsion. I eventually resigned from the Labour Party in 1991. In 1992 I stood for election as a socialist against the Labour vice-convenor of the housing committee. This was purely as a protest to raise the housing issue, in the area where I achieved one third of the vote. I joined SML and stood for them in a council election in 1994, achieving 18% of the vote.

What reception are you finding on the doorstep?

People are interested in our politics. They are very friendly and listen to and consider what we’ve got to say. We are already getting offers of help.