SSP play up their anti-war stance

TOMMY Sheridan yesterday predicted his Scottish Socialist Party could benefit from the tide of anti-war feeling in May’s Holyrood elections.

The SSP leader claimed that the party was seen across the country as "the peace party", and predicted that voters would opt for them as a protest against military action in Iraq.

He spoke as he launched the six key pledges his party will use as the platform for their election campaign. They include the abolition of council tax in favour of a Scottish service tax based on income, the provision of free school meals at all state schools, and the creation of 24,000 jobs with the introduction of a 35-hour maximum working week across the public sector.

The SSP also pledges to scrap the controversial Public Finance Initiative and introduce a 7.32 minimum wage for public sector workers.

Mr Sheridan is currently the SSP’s only MSP, but he said he was confident that he could be joined by up to seven other colleagues after May 1.

He claimed his party could even hold the balance of power - and would seek to have its six key pledges in return for its support.

At Glasgow’s City Chambers, Mr Sheridan said it was clear that the majority of people in Scotland were opposed to any war.

He said: "It’s undoubtedly the case that there is a desire for peace across Scotland.

"When it comes to May 1, if we’re in the middle of a horrific war for oil in Iraq, then people will use their vote for us as a protest because they know that a vote for the SSP is a vote for peace."

Mr Sheridan’s comments came the day after Nationalist MSP Lloyd Quinan called on the electorate to vote against any candidate in favour of the war.