Red Pepper's Election Blues

Scottish Socialist Party: losing an away game

Scottish Socialist Party national convenor Colin Fox today responded to the SSP's general election results saying that they were disappointing but not unexpected. Fox said:

"We were the only party who said from the outset that we had no chance of winning a seat in this election, and the Westminster elections are always going to be an away game for us. As former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty said, 'We got beat four nil and were lucky to get the nil.'

"The SSP team is ready for the next game against the leaders of the G8 however. This month we contested 58 out of 59 Scottish Westminster seats, distributing over 3 million election addresses and increasing our membership by ten percent.

"In July we will mobilise tens of thousands against the criminal policies of G8 leaders like George Bush and Tony Blair.

"In doing that we will link up with all those who used their vote to protest in these elections and explore with them the future of all forces in favour of a collective solution to the future of our planet."

Taking up the question of the voting system, Fox said:

"The biggest obstacle for smaller parties contesting the Westminster elections is the first past the post system that gives just three establishment parties a monopoly on media coverage and means that not a single Scottish vote for radical minority parties can have any result whatsoever."

Fox went on to thank the candidates, organisers and supporters who had worked hard over the past four weeks to spread the message of socialism across Scotland: "I'd like to pay tribute to all those activists, candidates and supporters who have mobilised more than 42,000 people to come out and vote for the Scottish Socialist Party."

The left so far

Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams - who voted against the war, foundation hospitals and control orders, and brings a good voice of dissent to the House - has been re-elected as MP for Caernarfon.

Elfyn Llwyd - a Plaid MP with a similarly positive voting record - has also held on to Merionnydd Nant Conwy.

Jill Russell, standing for Respect in Tyne Bridge, picked up 1.7% of the vote.

Bill Bonnar of the SSP, standing in Rutherglen & Hamilton West, received 2.7% and 1,164 votes.

Peter Beck, Green Party candidate in Birmingham Edgebaston (where Labour's Gisela Stuart held on) got 3% of the vote, or 1,116.

... and Red Pepper editor Hilary Wainwright, who's commentating on the election for the BBC World Service, is predicting a respectable result for Reg Keys in Sedgefield.

Mapping Dissent

Ever since '97 the left has found coping with this right wing Labour government extremely difficult. As the General Election approaches those problems are thrown into ever sharper focus, producing a mosaic of opposition that is simultaneously cutting with the grain of public opinion but is itself too often disorientated, fragmented and punching below its weight.

Red Pepper has teamed up with the Socialist Unity Network to produce the definitive dissenter's   guide to the election. Use the map to find progressive candidates in your constituency.

To the dissenters' map or Back to Red Pepper