Free Public Transport

On Thursday 19th the SSP launched its week of action on free public transport by leafleting and posting around stations and other transport hubs.

I've put a link to the site in 'Some other views from the left' in the sidebar.

Public reaction was very positive, as you might expect from people who are about to have to buy a ticket for an inferior service at an extortionate price to feed the fat cats who operate and mis-manage public transport for their own and their shareholders benefit.

Perhaps more surprising was the number of people who took the opportunity to express their support for our other policies on abolition of the council tax and its replacement by a fair system of taxation, on ending our involvement in American wars, on council housing, and on independence in a socialist Scotland.

It seems that it has taken a global financial meltdown to get across the message that capitalism is destroying itself through its own greed and to make people seriously consider an alternative 'not for profit' system which puts people before profit.

European Union, the Lisbon Treaty and Ireland

I am reminded of a piece of advice regularly given to aspiring lawyers regarding cross-examination of witnesses. You should never ask a question to which you don't already know the answer.

The Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty only goes to prove that the same applies in politics.

Democracy is always a real problem for bureaucracies and dictatorships, and the E.U. is both. So as foreign ministers struggle to find a way to thwart the clearly expressed will of the Irish people we should really be asking ourselves why. The answer is, of course, that the E.U. and its past incarnations, have always put profit before people.

The Irish, even although the country has benefitted enormously from the E.U. has seen little of the benefit 'trickle down' to the ordinary people. Big business, especially big farms have flourished and the rich, as usual, get richer.

They, and we, should continue to reject the treaty until it addresses distribution of wealth as well as wealth creation, because in a zero sum game, if business benefits then ordinary people must be penalised, and with growth at only 2-3% it is effectively a zero sum game.

Change to the Law on Sunbed Shops

I'm usually highly critical of laws which restrict freedoms, but the changes to the law regarding the use of sunbeds by under 18s has to be welcomed.

One of the hazards of being a full time driver is that your right arm tends to be exposed to the sun on good days when the window is open, and problems tend to be experienced by this group. I had a growth (benign) removed from my own right arm some years ago and it was a very scary time for me, so perhaps I am particularly aware of the damage the sun can do. I always wear a sunscreen now.

These changes to the law will, I hope, make a real difference, but the deterrent effect of a paltry £100 fine, when we consider other reports about the sunbed industry and its practices is still questionable.

But it's better than nothing.

Ry Cooder

I've added a new link in interesting stuff. It speaks for itself

Anglican Gay Wedding

I see from the BBC web site that the Anglican Church is shocked that a 'Gay Wedding' has been carried out in an Anglican church.

I have two reactions to that.

First, I am deeply shocked. I didn't think anyone really cared about the petty incestuous squabbling within the Church of England except themselves. I certainly didn't. Their continued persecution of gay people within an increasingly tolerant society is disgraceful. I was never allowed to sing it (commie, excused church) but doesn't one of their favourite hymns say 'the lord god made them all'.

Second, why should we deny the right of gay people to be as miserable as anyone else.

R.I.P. Jimmy Bonthrone, East Fife F.C.

All East Fife fans will miss Jimmy Bonthrone who died recently. A real gentleman and an extraordinary player. Check out the link under 'Interesting Stuff' or read the full obituary here

Sir Sean's Coming Home

I see from the news that Shir Sean is coming back to Scotland.

Oh, hang on. It's just to sell us a book. An autobiography written by a journalist??

Free Public Transport

I have added a link to the Scottish Socialist Party's 'Free Public Transport Campaign'

This will be one of the ongoing campaigning issues of the Party

East Fife F.C.

Seeing as how its been a quiet day, and since I have a link to the site on my blog, congratulations (belated) to East Fife on winning the 3rd Division title by a mile. Hope for a similar result next season in the 2nd.

C'way the Fife

Beau Derek and the Council Cuts

Just some more info on the cuts in public services in Renfrewshire under Beau Derek supported by his lib/dem gofers.

4 libraries to close (Gallowhill, Todholm, Elderslie, Bargarran)

5 neighbourhood housing offices to close

£500 p.a. charge for residents in sheltered housing for the warden service (which is being reduced from 24 to 3 hours per day)

Charges for attendance at elderly day-centres

Cost of kids swimming lessons doubled

Cuts in the park ranger service

2 nurseries to close

Apex community centre in Ferguslie Park (Terry's pitch) to close

Rough Sleepers Initiative for the homeless to close

Museum and observatory opening hours cut

Recycle Renfrewshire funding withdrawn

3 day centres for the disabled to close

Education budget cut by the equivalent of 2 teachers per school


And if Labour think they are off the hook on this can I remind them that:

they passed the policy which made warden charges possible

they closed libraries in Kilbarchan, Johnstone Castle, Spateston, Inchinnan,Brookfield, Houston, Langbank, Howwood, and the Johnstone teenage libraries (and we wonder why our kids are poor readers)

they closed and privatised post offices

they closed community centres like the East End community centre for which a replacement was promised and never materialised

they privatised our schools (opposed and now adopted by the SNP)

and they tried and failed to give away our council housing to a crony body, sorry ..housing association.


It's not until you see the cuts listed like this that you can see how the old, the very young, the vulnerable and the disabled are being targeted.

It's a public disgrace.

Cash for Honours

Just thinking about Shir Sean, not that I'm suggesting anything improper in respect of himself, got me to thinking about the Cash for Honours problems which Bliar faced in his closing days.

Both Ruth Kelly and Lord Levy were questioned under caution and under the guidelines should have been required to give a sample of DNA for the database even if subsequently not charged with any offence.

Why won't the Met. confirm whether this happened? One rule for them etc.

Beau Derek Mackay

I see Beau Derek in the local paper today trying to encourage council employees to go to work by bike to save the planet. If he really means it why don't the council close the council office car parks to all but bikes and disabled drivers. That would be easier than a bike purchase loan scheme and it might just let them see just how difficult they have made it for everyone but themselves to park in Paisley Town Centre.

Perhaps councillors and council officers should be made to pay a commercial rate for the free parking they get from the council tax payers, or at least have the benefit assessed for tax so that they can employ more smoking enforcement officers (nicotine fascists) to harass town centre traders and pubs.

Of course they have to look after themselves, they're councillors after all, but have they no shame. Bike is becoming the only way to get around the town, but with pot-holes 6 inches deep even that is a bit dangerous.

I'm Back

It's been a while but but I'm back in the land of the Blogosphere and hope to be posting regularly again soon.

Meanwhile you have let it all go to the dogs. Where has all of the piss-taking gone. Surely the big clunking fist deserves more than he's getting. Labour are paying the price of their own corporatism. As they moved away from community values and individuals and tied themselves firmly to capitalism they are suffering from the credit squeeze in the same way as the banks and financial institutions they have come to love. The English middle classes, don't you just love them. They have reduced voting with your wallet to an art form. Labour are getting what they deserve in the English local elections, but the Tories under Big Dave Cameron are no better, in fact they are remarkably similar.

The SNP have made a complete arse of things in Scotland. They have not increased the council tax, but instead have cut services to the most vulnerable right through the country. But surely the same price for less is an increase. Perhaps they should re-introduce 'O' level arithmetic. They carry on with PFI schools and hospitals even although they opposed them previously. What happened to those extra police, student debt, a referendum and an end to the council tax Oh, and by the way, where is Sir Sean's new house?

The Lib/Dems, well, anything at all for a taste of power please, including kissing Salmond's arse.
They have become a parody of themselves. Remember when they stood for something, even if it was something different in every town. Now they stand for nothing.

That's enough to start back with.

Back soon

Just in case you thought I was dead it is only shift patterns that are dictating the absence of current stuff. I'll be back soon, but you probably didn't even miss me. In the meantime I've added a piece by The Wee Man to Interesting Stuff. I know I shouldn't laugh, but it's funny.

Rayleen Kelly and the SSP : Accusations of Lying

I have been having a correspondence with the peoples princess over on her blog
and she has accused me of lying regarding her censorship of my comments in a prior conversation (see mine on 31st march). Now I don't claim to be a saint, but to be called a liar by a former Renfrewshire Labour councillor takes the biscuit.

She has, however, run away from the discussion by closing the topic (presumably that isn't censoring comment in the Labour party). Giving yourself the last word is, I suppose, your right if it is your blog. This isn't Rayleen's blog but she can add comments without any censorship, and no topic ever closes.
She is struggling to make her earlier comments sensible and has obviously run out of steam . Sorry Rayleen, but your loss of reason is showing. You can't just assume someone is guilty of something because you saw them being arrested on TV. Every day I see policemen in stab proof vests queueing in snack bars to buy their rolls, so no assumptions can be made from the gear that they wear in any given situation as to the guilt or innocence of an arrested person.

If the police thought them worthy of being charged with an offence, and if any police were hurt or in danger of being hurt, then they should have been given the opportunity to prove their innocence in court, we have no way of knowing if their behaviour was lawful or not if they are not tried.

The arrest of the 80 year old woman at Faslane received plenty of coverage, and for Rayleen to suggest that she deserved her treatment is a disgrace to a decent society.

And finally, Rayleen, I didn't get you started on the Iraq shroud waving, you did that all on your own because you were struggling for a point that you could win. But you are wrong there as well, it is the flag wavers who are the problem and your party is full of them or we wouldn't be in Iraq.

Renfrewshire Labour in Opposition

The shift to a one party right of centre state is never more obvious than when we look at Labour in opposition in Renfrewshire.

Maybe I'm wrong and am just being left behind by consensus politics of the soft right, but I was always under the impression that it was the duty of the opposition to oppose. They did this by holding the ruling group to account and offering alternatives to the policies put forward by that group. This ensured that the proposals of the ruling group were properly scrutinised and compared with an alternative model, that of the opposition. That is the strength of an adversarial system of government.

Labour in Renfrewshire (still in shock at their loss of power and smarting under a new ignominy, they are losing their JPs) are offering no new and innovative policies, they are not even promoting the stale old policies which saw them lose power.

Their stated aim is to ensure that the election promises made by the SNP are kept. But surely it is not the role of the opposition Labour party to ensure that the SNP manifesto is implemented, that is just a stupid thing to say. Labour should be offering a different agenda with new ideas (not the ones which were already rejected by the majority of voters) and fighting tooth and nail to prevent the ideas which they opposed whilst in office from being implemented. That is the duty of an opposition, but they still do not understand that they are the opposition, so they will fight to implement the policies of the SNP and try to take credit for themselves for what goes right, rejecting as not theirs anything which goes wrong.

This is a completely sterile approach to the problems of Renfrewshire, and to think that we paid the dead wood thousands to go away and not prevent innovation. What a waste that was. The new lot haven't an idea between them except to ensure the implementation of SNP policy.

Terry Kelly and Social Housing

I've been trying to ignore TKMax recently as he has become something of an irrelevance even within the Labour group, but when he makes a statement like this:-

How about campaigning for a proper social house building programme instead of capitulating to the racists, there's a novel idea, decent socialists in the party now have to apologise for you, for god's sake go !

then I have to remind people that he campaigned against keeping Renfrewshire's housing in public ownership. He bragged about the number of council houses the Labour council had knocked down, and when challenged about the number of council houses they had built (none) and the number of homeless and the waiting lists for council houses (thousands -- see my post on 19th April 2007) he took the cowards way out, did not respond, and barred me from comment on his site.

Well it's his site, so he makes the rules, but we will have to to add hypocrisy to the previous charges of buffoonery (and he is after all McMillan's court jester), and treat his opinions accordingly

Rayleen and the SSP

Rayleen (the peoples' princess) Kelly has raised some questions about the survival of the SSP on her site. I've posted a reply but who knows if she will publish it.

I can only tell others what I have tried to tell her, and that is that the SSP will obviously have to have a re-think as regards our operational affairs, but we are resolved to be here fighting for working people against their enemies in the Labour, New Labour, Tory, New Tory, Maybe we're Tory but we're not sure Lib/Dem, and Tartan Tory parties.

We are not going away irrespective of how big an embarrassment it might be for Labour to have us reminding them of what they are supposed to stand for and the liars they have become.

The Coronation of Gordon Brown

There was no choir giving us 'Zadok the Priest', but the elevation of Gordon (the big clunking fist) Brown to the status of Prime Minister elect was something of a coronation.

The fact that a left candidate from within the Labour party couldn't even get on to the ballot paper surely tells us that any notional loyalty to the working class, which some Labour supporters were clinging to, has gone completely and forever. There is no way back from this that leads left, the bridge is burnt.

All those, like TKMax, who believe that, as puny district councillors in opposition, they can present any challenge to the inexorable rightward stampede of the Labour party are either liars, clinging to their Labour rosettes in the hope of being able to re-join the gravy train, or fools.

For better or worse we have got Big Humble Gordy, and he has much to be humble about when we consider the growing inequality he has created.

Renfrewshire Labour in Opposition

It looks as if they still don't get it, but just for the sake of clarification, Renfrewshire Labour--you're out on your arse. There will be no more corporate hospitality or freebies, declared or otherwise, you're history, live with it. You made no friends in power and could not form a coalition if your lifestyles depended on it (and they did).

So for Sharkey (the assassin of Rayleen, the People's Princess) to say in the paper that he is committed to working with all of his new colleagues? on the council no matter which party badge they wear is just wishful thinking. They won't let you play because of the spiteful and hateful things your party did while in power. Get it in your heads, you are in opposition, you have a duty to oppose and hold up to scrutiny the policies of the new administration, and to be vilified for it in the same way you vilified the opposition while you were in power.

Iain McMillan, who rules over the ashes of what was once the administration in Renfrewshire, is similarly delusional. He is reported to have hit out at the new coalition for failing to tap into the vast experience of some of his colleagues on the policy boards. He can't really have thought that the duds who ruined Paisley (at least those who didn't take the money and run) were going to be offered convererships and places of influence in the new administration. The arrogance of the man is beyond belief. They still think that they have a right to govern even when they have been shoved out the door by a spirit of co-operation which they could not foster for themselves, and deeply resent in other more progressive alliances.