The SSP has selected Kevin McKvey as our candidate in the Glasgow North East by-election (date to be decided).

To read about the campaign go to the blog. To get involved by either donating money or donating time please contact the SSP using the contact details on the campaign blog.

Kevin McVey stands for socialism in Glasgow North East – 2nd July 2009

The Scottish Socialist Party has selected Kevin McVey as candidate for the Glasgow North East by-election.
A civil service trade union representative for 20 years, Kevin was brought up in the constituency, in Ruchazie.
Kevin joined the Labour Party Young Socialists in 1984 and was expelled from the Labour party 5 years later for being a socialist.

Kevin has a long track record of fighting the poll tax, against school closures, and for taxation of the rich to improve public services.

Kevin McVey said this evening:

At a time of daily news bulletins on the stench of corruption arising from Westminster, I am proud to publicly pledge that I will reject the £64,000 MP’s salary and live instead on the average skilled worker’s wage – not a penny more.

After the mainstream parties have been caught fiddling expenses for food, furniture, second homes, and Michael Martin was booted out for trying to cover up these crimes against people struggling to pay the bills, Labour now wants him promoted to the unelected, undemocratic House of Lords.

That’s an insult to ordinary hardworking people. Where I have worked you would be sacked for doctoring expenses or for failing to act against fiddles if you were in a manager’s post!

The people of Glasgow North East deserve a socialist MP who will fight for them, not another chancer who pockets the obscene salary and then grabs even more in expenses.

SSP Glasgow Regional Secretary Richie Venton said today:

We are proud to put up a candidate with such a long and principled history of fighting for the working class.

The SSP has been at the heart of fighting to save several local schools and nurseries from Labour’s butchery. We have helped stop the ambitious councillor Gordon Matheson becoming the Labour candidate, because even the out-of-touch Labour hierarchy knew he would be a complete liability in an area blitzed by school closures, which he was at the heart of. The SSP will make Save Our Schools a major issue in the by-election, demanding class sizes of 20 or less for all kids, to give them a decent start in life and to hire more teachers and nursery staff.

Taken from the SSP website

By an Iranian exile in Scotland – 22nd June 2009

Iran is experiencing the most significant popular uprising since the1979 revolution.

The angry people came to streets after the 10th presidential election result was announced on 13th June. Two weeks of colourful street festivals, where young people were exceptionally allowed to let off steam dance and chant Ahmadinejad bye bye ended up in bloodshed.

Fraudulent elections are not new in Iran, but the recent colossal “polls engineering” has astonished even the most pessimist observers. While millions of change supporting youth prepared themselves to celebrate a landslide victory over Ahmadinejad, Iran’s ministry of interior declared him as the winner, having two times more votes over his main rival, Moussavi.

Three candidates could get the official approval to compete with Ahmadinejad. Amongst them Mir-Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi were considered as reformists and the third one was a former commander of the revolutionary guard.

Moussavi, an architect and the ex-prime minister in the 80’s , entered into the contest after twenty years of political silence. He was strongly supported by many reformists, such as ex-president Khatami and Rafsanjani, the powerful head of the “Council of Expediency”. Moussavi, known for his clean economic record and his efficient management of the wartime economy, could specially gain a massive support among all the strata of the society, and turn out to be the first chance of winning the election.

He openly criticized Ahmadinejad’s term as wasting of oil revenues, unjustified social repressions and confrontational foreign policy.

Both reformist candidates pledged to relieve social repressions and limit censorship, curb 24 percent inflation, and rebuild foreign relation with the West.

On the other hand, Ahmadinejad, who is strongly backed by the revolutionary guard (RG) defended his achievement on earth and the sky and claimed that he had revived the dignity of the Islamic regime by taking the aggressive stance towards the West.

The televised debates between candidates, a new phenomenon in Iran’s narrow political scene, broke many taboos and exposed a long-lasting power struggle at the top between the Supreme Leader, and his so-called barrack party on one hand and the moderate Rafsanjani on the other.

Rasanjani’s wealthy men have financed Moussavi’s massive campaign. Ahmadinejad condemned all his precedent governments, including Rafsanjani’s, for cowardice and corruption. The others openly called Ahmadinejad an extravagant liar.

While reformists did not pose major critiques of Iran’s nuclear program, one noticeable shift from previous elections was that social movement’s demands found more vocal voice within the reformist agenda.

Both reformists published their charters of Human Right, pledging to sign the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to relax state censorship and suppression, and to give more rights to ethnic and religious minorities.

Karrubi, a former head of the Parliament, backed by an important student organisation and more radical figures of reformist intellectuals, even went so far to ask for revising the regime’s Constitution. This was an ostensible breach from the official discourse, since the constitution was regarded as the most sacred asset of the revolution.

These debates raised hope among young people desperate for change.

The growing consensus to participate in the election eventually marginalised the opposition political parties, notably leftist in exile, who pointed to so-called reformist government of Khatami’s presidency as a proof of impossibility of reform from inside the regime.

The leftists called for their traditional policy of boycotting the so-called elections.
The turn out to the polls however was estimated to be over 85% which is a record since Khatami’s election in 1997. The reformists observers of the polls claimed that they got 30 million votes out of the 42 million polls. Based on these, Moussavi declared his victory at the night of vote counting, while complaining about widespread manipulations and bias.

However, at the night of 12th June the ministry of interior turned the tables and declared Ahmadinejad as the new president, obtaining an improbable 24 million votes, two times more than Moussavi.

The two reformist candidates called the result as dangerous charade and imaginary and absurd. People soon called the move a political coup by the Supreme Leader in order to keep the “barrack party” (i.e the Revolutionary Guard and its militia Basij) in power.

Thousands of people who invested their hopes for change in Moussavi and Karrubi, immediately came streets shouting Down with dictator and Moussavi, take back my vote for me. On the same night, the regime’s Basij, well equipped with all the light weaponry but in plain cloths, attacked university dormitories in major cities, beating and injuring hundreds of students, while there are unconfirmed reports of 5 being killed in the attack to Tehran University dormitory.

In a national-wide demonstration on Tuesday, which was banned by the ministry of interior, hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out. Moussavi and Karrubi came to the crowd and stressed that they will not surrender.

The riot police and notorious Basij dispersed protesters using electric batons, pepper sprays, tear gas and, in some instances, shooting at the people. At least 8 people where killed and dozens injured in Tehran. They suppressed people more brutally outside the capital. The supreme leader who was the first to congratulate Ahmadinejad took one step back and vaguely ordered to review the results. However, people are highly suspicious that this was just a trick to calm down the people.

On 19th June, when some were still hopeful that these widespread protests would soften the ruling hardliners, the supreme leader declared threateningly at the Friday Prayer that the loser should respect the law otherwise they are responsible for the human suffering in the street clashes.

This final word of the ultimate authority was regarded as showing the green light to security forces to escalate hostilities. Angry people who were not frightened by the threats came to streets on the day after, which turned out to be the most hideous day since the disputed election.

In Tehran, alone at least 19 people were shot dead by Basij agents and hundreds injured, among them the tragic death scene of young girl called Neda who has now become iconic. She had came with his father to participate in peaceful protest but get shot in the heart, her last seconds were filmed by a pedestrian, spread virally on Internet and shocked the world.

In response to these brutalities, a national strike is been called as we go to press. The call for national strike first announced by an officially banned leftist group called Sacrifice of the People. Local workers strikes in objection to the rigged election have already been held at some instances, notably in the country’s main car manufacturing complex, Iran Khodro.

At present, all the reformist websites are blocked, mobile communications are restricted and almost all of the foreign correspondents, even the BBC reporters which was traditionally among the most gentle ones, have been asked to quit the country.

To circumvent censorship people have extensively used creative ways, for example they widely use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to organise themselves and to let the external world to know what is happening in the country. On the other hand, a series of distributed Internet attacks by Iranian diaspora brought down some of the regime’s official websites.

Almost all of the reformist leaders, critics, prominent journalists, student activists, and ordinary protesters are being jailed.

Even aged reformist figures in their 80’s where not immune to the mass-arrests. Dr. Yazdi, for example, an 80 year old ex-foreign minister , has been taken to jail straight form the hospital bed, where he was being treated for cancer. Moussavi and Karrubi are still free and continue reclaiming for re-election. Perhaps because the ruling class fears that their arrest will put more oil into people’s fire.

Outside the country, Iranians are mostly surprised by the election results, and shocked by the regime’s brutalities, are protesting at Iranian embassies and urging Iranian leaders to respect their votes – Moussavi’s average vote outside the country, where it were closely observed and thus difficult to forge, was over 80%.

So not surprisingly almost all expatriates are urging their respective governments to not legitimise Ahmadinjad as Iran’s president and many are asking to cut all ties with the mullahs’ regime.

Given the lack of any established resistance organisation and regarding the iron-fist policy of the government the future of the movement remains to be seen.

Something that seems clear is that the political cost of the election for the regime was huge and particularly the legitimacy lost by of the supreme leader was irreversible. It is rather soon to say that history is repeating but I think it would be fair to say that Iran have definitely entered into a new political era.

The unsettling fact is that the ruling class have shown that they are not worried about the death tolls, as far as their power is at the stake.

It’s a bit too soon to have done any proper analysis of the vote, no doubt we will discuss it at our meeting this Wednesday.

We would like to thank all those in Dundee and beyond who voted for a campaigning Socialist Party.

We saw a modest rise in our percentage both in Dundee and nationally. Clearly it was not as high as we would have hoped but it has been steadily rising in the city for the past 2 years and it is a start of the rebuilding process after the low of the 2007 results.

Unlike most other parties you didn’t only see us on the streets in the run up to the election and we won’t disappear immediately after it. Although at this election the other parties were seen even more rarely than usual. They wouldn’t have something to be embarrassed about would they?

A friendly reminder that tomorrow is the European Election.

Wherever you are in Scotland you can vote for the SSP by marking one cross next to us on the ballot paper.

As well as the regular stalls in Dundee, the SSP have also held a number of stalls over the region in the last few weeks. Activity has included stalls in Aberdeen, Montrose, Arbroath and Perth.

We have managed to dish out thousands of leaflets to passers by to let them know two things that not only are we standing in the European elections but that we are active in the area.

Today was glorious sunshine in Montrose surrounded by the excellent background music of the festival going on behind us. We look forward to our semi regular stalls in Arbroath and Montrose – the SSP, not just on the streets at an election.

Joaquin, the NPA activist who spoke at the Dundee rally last night is interviewed on the SSP site.

Extract:

For many socialists in Europe we have been inspired by those recent struggles in France – what is happening at the moment?

Sarkosy came to power partly because opposition to him was so poor. With all the parties pretty much offering the same policies Sarkosy may have appeared decisive and in control and someone who could sort problems out. Particularly with the economic crisis people now just see his government as arrogant and only interested in representing the rich. Worse than that this government is aggressive particularly against young people and is reacting to the increased conflict and tension brought about by increased class conflict by unleashing the police and stepping up surveillance, something I know is happening in Britain too.

From January to March this year there was massive protests across the country and a general strike was a possibility. Partly because of the role of trade union leaders this did not happen and this has meant that perhaps things are bit quieter just now. However I do not believe this will last and more struggle will take place only this time even stronger than before.

David Cameron has been all over the press today with his sweeping radical reforms as he likes to call them.

These include:

• seriously consider[ing] the possibility of fixed-term parliaments
• reducing the number of MPs by 10%
• Text alerts on progression of Bills.
• More publication of expenses
• possible curbs on the whipping of votes
• backbenchers would get powers to choose the chairmen and members of select committees

These, he claims, will transfer power from the state to the people. Sounds good, unless you realise this is a man who voted for people to be detained by the state without charge for 28 days.

So lets look at the list:

seriously consider[ing] the possibility of fixed-term parliaments.

Not only is it a pitiful reform but it is surrounded by two weasily non-commital caveats. Why not fixed numbers of terms for MPs if you want to fix terms? (The SSP voted for 2 terms at our conference a number of years back)

reducing the number of MPs by 10%

In a parliament which is a representative type this makes the body less accountable, not more.

Text alerts on progression of Bills.

Post a reply if you can name one Bill currently going through parliament.

Yep, thought not.

The bills are available here if you wish to see.

More publication of expenses

Long overdue, but whilst MPs make the rules they then defend themselves by not breaking it is toothless and purely populist.

possible curbs on the whipping of votes

How exactly would this be enforceable? Notice again the weasely caveat.

backbenchers would get powers to choose the chairmen and members of select committees

Well hold me back, that is exactly the demand being made by everyone on a daily basis, the problem with parliament being the backbenchers don’t get to choose chairmen of talking shops. Sounds more like throwing a bone to get the support from backbenchers though.

Reforms which were noticeable by their absence included

• Reducing pay of MPs or linking to some measure of wages/income. Might we suggest a maximum of 5 times the state pension? Then there might be some action on pensioner poverty.
• Abolition of the unelected and undemocratic House of Lords
• Abolition of the unelected and undemocratic Privy Council
• Recallability of MPs – by petition of a percentage of constituents or triggered by voting against election promises or by changing their political affiliation
• Proportional Representation – deliberately excluded by Cameron
• Extending the franchise
• Overhauling voter registration to remove the current ease to commit fraud with postal vote registration.

None of these are revolutionary demands. They are basic reforms which are far more radical than anything Cameron has just dreamed up. Of course further reforms would be a real democracy, with the parliament chosen by lot, rather than the oligarchy we have now.

Here is the SSP Party Election Broadcast for the European Elections on the Fourth of June.

The actor is of course Tam Dean Burn

There will be a speaker from the NPA, French Anti Capitalist Left, at all of these events.

Glasgow: Tuesday 26th May, 7.30pm, Piper In The Square, George Square

Dundee: Wednesday 27th May, 7.30pm, Queens Hotel, 160 Nethergate

Edinburgh: Thursday 28th May, 7.30pm, The Melting Pot, 5 Rose Street

Speakers in Dundee will be Angela Gorrie (SSP candidate), John McAllion and the visitor from the NPA.

We will also be showing our latest broadcast and various other bits and bobs.

Come along.