02.04.2003

Scottish troops

With all the anti-war activity taking place, the Scottish parliamentary elections have taken second place. However, with less than a month to go, we are beginning to see the campaign move into gear. The SSP has been the first party to launch its manifesto following the formal dissolution of the Scottish parliament at midnight on Monday March 31. Opinion polls had put the party at 8%-10%, but since the start of war this figure has risen to 10%-12%. We could be looking at double-figure representation in terms of MSPs. The SSP's manifesto calls for abolition of the council tax and its replacement with a Scottish service tax, and demands free school meals for every state school student, a £7.32 minimum wage for public sector workers, the scrapping of PFI and an end to the war against Iraq. Tommy Sheridan in an interview with the BBC said: "Those in Scotland who believe that Scottish troops should not be involved in America's war can vote for the SSP to endorse the proposal that we bring our troops home." Presumably that would apply to British army troops from England, Wales and Northern Ireland too. Sarah McDonald