New Labour - "A Wolf in Sheeps clothing."

Comment by Ron Mackay

Your taxes - useless missiles or useful hospitals?

“We have an extremist Government at Westminster which is hell bent on using the current economic situation to achieve a neo-liberal society and dismantle the welfare state despite the fact that it was just these market structures and competitive individualism that resulted in the banking fiasco”. With the Scottish elections, in spite of it's limited powers we may get some limited protection. The media forecasts Labour as the largest party with the Scottish Nationalists second. When you vote Labour in most cases you get New Labour which is totally different from the party for which our parents and grandparents voted. New Labour, with it's neo-liberal policies, is just a variant of the Conservatives and should be opposed by the Scottish people as the Conservatives are. New Labour is “a wolf in sheep's clothing”.

Iain Gray, along with his Labour colleagues voted in support of the war in Iraq in the Scottish Parliament debate on March 13, 2003 which will long shame the Labour in Scotland. As recently as last September an opportunity arose for Labour to oppose the war in Afghanistan. Only 310 M.P.'s (less than half) turned up to vote and only 16 voted against, two of them being Katy Clark and Mark Lazarowitz the only two Scottish Labour M.P.s to vote against. These wars are not just a mistake they're criminal. Millions of innocent men,women and children have been killed and further millions made homeless. Labour bears a heavy responsibility.

Labour during 13 years in power made no effort to get rid of Trident and in the midst of the present crisis continues to support the huge expenditure on Trident and warfare in general. As Socialists have long proclaimed YOU CAN'T HAVE WARFARE AND WELFARE. Labour has chosen warfare.

Labour is not a Socialist party nor is the Scottish National party but ,at least the Scottish Nationalists do oppose Trident. The Scottish people will have the opportunity to vote for a Socialist .In all 8 regions of Scotland there will be a S.S.P. Candidate who, if elected, will be able to raise vital issues which would otherwise be neglected and introduce policies to promote health, welfare and education as they were able to do in the past.