SCOTTISH SOCIALISTS TO STAND GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES IN MAY
Meeting in Glasgow at the weekend the executive committee of the Scottish Socialist Party unanimously agreed to commence the process of selecting candidates for next May’s general election.
SSP National spokesperson Colin Fox said : “The preference of the SSP was to field candidates under a ‘Yes alliance’ banner drawn from the three pro independence parties us, the SNP and the Greens which we felt was the best way of harnessing the energy of the broad Yes campaign in a united effort to defeat the unionist parties .”
“However since both the Greens and SNP have rejected that approach in favour of standing candidates under their own party colours. The SSP has no alternative but to do likewise. In the absence of a united Yes alliance the SSP will therefore field candidates across urban Scotland in May. Our candidates will back independence and also put our own distinctive anti austerity, socialist policies before voters. The centrepiece of our campaign will be a £10/hour living wage and to end zero hour contracts.’
ENDS
Press Contact: Ken Ferguson 07925 613145
7 thoughts on “SSP announces party will stand candidates in 2015 General Election”
As long as you are still fighting for our freedom and not with the old boys club.
Fantastic news I didn’t fancy backing SNP next year anyway.
Im with you as always on zero hour living wage anti austerity etc I’m just worried about splitting the vote, cause Labour HAVE to go.
That’s the worst news possible. How many seats does the executive reckon can be won?
I would hazard a guess and say none! And believe me, I have absolutely no problem with the SSP; I do though, have a huge problem with its timing. I wont even use the term vote-splitting.
The general election is first past the post. SSP’s central policies are not going to be advanced while we are under extreme right wing Westminster Control. I’m going to state the obvious: Fielding SSP candidates for the 2015 general election campaign is going to be counter productive.
It is a shame the yes alliance thing fell through, esp as SSP were willing participants, in light of the unionist parties seemingly forming tactical alliances, it remains to be seen if SNP and the greens have scored an own goal here. Best of luck in your upcoming GE campaign…
I’m no political strategist, but this looks like an unwise move to me. The YES alliance idea was fantastic, and the SNP are culpable for not opting for it. So the SSP has every right to field its own candidates. However, two wrongs don’t make a right, and it seems to me to make more sense to advocate a tactical vote for the SNP in 2015 (perhaps under the slogan: vote SNP in 2015, vote SSP in 2016). The bigger the defeat inflicted on the unionist parties in 2015, the bigger the opportunities for the socialist left in the Holyrood elections in 2016. This is in no way to offer “carte blanche” to the SNP – electors are well capable of understanding what a tactical vote is and why it might be a good idea in certain circumstances. I hope the SSP reconsiders this decision.
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