03.04.1997

Socialist campaign launched in Dundee

With the general election less than four weeks away Dundee Scottish Socialist Alliance ‘celebrated’ Easter with a weekend full of political activity.

On Saturday morning comrades across the city held several stalls in the housing schemes followed by a mass presence in the city centre at lunchtime. The main focus was the campaign against the council cuts. The Labour council in Dundee is committed to cuts of almost £9 million, as well as 15% council tax increase and 5% rent rise. The response was excellent.

Lots of people stopped to sign the petition and many pledged their support for Mary Ward and Harvey Duke, the two SSA candidates in Dundee. One unemployed engineer told me “Blair and Major - there’s no difference. Labour promises to be just the same as the Tories. If the SSA is prepared to fight then I will vote for it.”

Later on in the day a successful and well attended Election School was held to discuss areas of our election campaign. Sunday was spent putting canvassing theory into practice on the doorsteps. The response was encouraging. While many people saw very little difference between the policies of Labour, Tories or SNP and would not vote for them enthusiastically, only a few had heard of the SSA.

However they were prepared to listen to what we had to say, with some apparently persuaded by our arguments. Our task in the coming weeks is to turn the scepticism and cynicism towards the mainstream parties into a positive vote for the candidates of the Scottish Socialist Alliance, and more importantly to build an organisation in the workplaces and in the streets that can articulate and fight for working class demands.

Nick Clarke