by Scott Macdonald Every once in a while, the battle between selectivity and universal provision rises. From Johann Lamont MSP’s particularly odious “Scotland cannot be the only something-for-nothing country in the world” promotion of selectivity in 2012, to the current discussion around free period products being brought forward by Monica Lennon MSP’s members bill. We […]
by Scott Macdonald There were 1,187 Scottish drug-related deaths in 2018 – a grisly rise of 27% over 2017’s figures. It is the highest since records began in 1996. Since the 2008 financial crisis the number of drug-related deaths has doubled. The data breakdown is a depressing read. Opiates – heroin, methadone and some prescribed […]
by Calum Martin Weapons Of Mass Destruction. They don’t protect us from acts of terror. They don’t shield us from infrastructural cyberattacks. Hideously expensive, morally indefensible and functionally purposeless, they are some of the most dangerous and expensive relics in the world. So what point is there in keeping them? “Well,” squawks many a rich […]
by Colin Fox When Arthur Scargill took over as the President of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1980 he was astonished to find the union’s pension fund invested in the apartheid gold mines of South Africa. The Pension Fund Trustees defended their investment on the grounds it produced the highest rates of return to […]
by Richie Venton Our SSP street stall and street meeting outside Starbucks in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall St today gained a really warm reception from shoppers. As we blasted out the message – over the din of the howling wind! – about multinationals like Starbucks and KFC robbing workers of their rightful wages by calling them apprentices, […]
by Roz Paterson Whether or not Margaret Thatcher ever actually stated that a 26 year old man riding on a bus should consider himself a failure, taking the bus in UK plc has long since ceased to be a feel-good activity. Not only is it staggeringly expensive and inconvenient, it is also unreliable, the routes […]
by Calum Martin, SSP National Co-Chair The Scottish Parliament was supposed to provide the ways and means to bring forward a new Scotland. Ours is a wealthy, productive nation, but it becomes more unequal daily. Workers create that wealth, yet it is skewed by a system rigged for the rich. Inflation bites deep into workers […]
The Scottish Socialist Party both welcomes and commends todays vote in Parliament to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football & Threatening Communications Act (2012). Commenting, party executive committee member and long standing Fans Against Criminalisation supporter Liam McLaughlan said: “Today was the culmination of a 7-year, working class fan led movement which showed us all […]