SSP responds to General Election result

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

Colin continued;

"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 Colin 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."

Colin 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."

 

April 2005