Does Armed Forces Day Glorify War? Letter to the East Lothian News
02 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Last Saturday’s Armed Forces Day was supposedly held to honour and respect soldiers past and present.
However the event, sponsored by weapons company BAE systems, felt more like an army recruitment drive.
Here they were invoked in a cavalcade of military pomp, designed to make the British army and by extension our involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya appear glorious.
There was no room to question whether these were heroic struggles or imperialist occupations. Nor to suggest that we should bring troops home from countries we have no right to occupy. Nor to challenge the role of the British army in centuries of colonialism.
There was also no mention that up to a quarter of homeless people in Britain are ex-forces, struggling often with little support to overcome the trauma of war.
I was reminded of Paul Baumer, a First World War German soldier in Erich Remarque’s novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. Baumer shows great bravery but views the war as a pointless bloodbath. He has nothing but contempt for those who want to make war appear glorious.
Maybe it would be better to ask why our soldiers are slaughtered occupying foreign countries in the first place.
Aidan Simpson
Scottish Socialist Party
Energy price rises leave millions in the cold – Letter to this weeks Courier and News
19 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Fuel Poverty
Summer may be here, but the news that Scottish Power has once again jacked up their gas and electricity prices sent a shiver through East Lothian homes already struggling to keep warm through the winter months.
Dual fuel gas and electricity bills have risen by an average of 50% since 2007, with more increases expected from the other energy companies. And whilst we are all hit by these spiralling costs it is the poorest and most vulnerable who are hurt the most.
According to figures from the Scottish Government around a third of Scots now live in fuel poverty (spending over 10% of their income on heating) whilst 10% live in extreme fuel poverty (spending over 20% of their income on heating).
Meanwhile Scottish Power last year made £1.3 billion in profit. They are profiteering whilst millions are left in the cold.
The Scottish Socialist Party believe that keeping Scots safe and warm in their own homes is more important than protecting Scottish Power’s profit margins. We therefore call on the Scottish Government to intervene and slash energy bills to ensure that every Scot can afford to heat their home.
The Scottish Government has pledged to end fuel poverty by 2016. The Scottish Socialist Party believes that this can only be done by preventing energy companies from profiteering at our expense.
Aidan Simpson
Scottish Socialist Party
whose side are you on, letter to the east lothian courier
16 May 2011 Leave a Comment
If the labour party are wondering why they got hammered last week. It didn’t help when Ed Balls came up to Scotland and told us Scots we were to thick to run our own country.
How come out of all the people of the world that it’s only the Scots as a people who are to stupid to run their own affairs. If the Labour party continues to rubbish the people of Scotland and use them only as voting fodder then their decline will continue. I joined the Labour party 30 years ago believing it was the only party fighting for working people and the poor of Scotland. over the years this changed.
The rot started when Neil Kinnock stabbed the miners in the back. Tony Blair finished the killing off of the people’s party by turning it into a pro big business party. That’s when I left and looked for a new alternative.
Over the years of the last Labour government the rich got richer and the rest of us got poorer. They bailed out the banks with the people’s money. A true people’s party would have used the money not to pay bankers bonuses but to build homes and create jobs. Labour are no longer a party fighting for a better life for working people. There was an old song, which side are you on. Labour members must ask themselves this question.When they find the answer then they may have a future.
Ali Hughes 13/05/2011
letter to east lothian news 29/04/2011
29 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
PRIVATISATION WOES.
The privatisation of the domiciliary care services by the SNP Libdem coalition on East Lothian council is a throw back to the days of Thatcher.
Then the over riding view was privet good public bad. This dose not stand up to any close examination.
The reason for privatisation is nothing to do with getting better value for money for the voter. Or that privet company run things better.
Just look at the banks. They run the country into the ground then come crying to the rest of us to bail them out.
At the same time the very people who gambled away other peoples money, give themselves bonus into the millions.
The privet contractors are not there to proved public services, but to make profit for there share holders.
To do this they must drive down cost by cutting workers pay and making them work longer hours. These saving will not make there ways back to the council but into the bank accounts of big business.
This will not improved the service for the most vulnerable members of our community but make thing worst.
The Libdem SNP councillor are robbing the people of East Lothian with this privatisation. Just as labour did when they aloud big business to rob us with there public private partnerships. Building schools, hospitals, committee centres and swimming pool. They cost us up to ten time what they cost to build and our grand children’s children will still be paying for it.
Its about time the so call representative of the people stood up for the people who voted for them and not dance the tune of big business.
By Ali Hughes.
Socialists gear up for last minute campaigning
28 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
The Scottish Socialist Party are this week gearing up for a final hectic weeks campaigning in East Lothian for the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
So far in the campaign they have held weekly stalls in Musselburgh, distributed thousands of leaflets to homes across the county, taken part in hustings and held a public meeting on the cuts in the Brunton Hall.
South list candidate Aidan Simpson said “The Scottish Socialist Party’s key issues in this campaign are opposition to all cuts to public services, the introduction of the Scottish Service Tax, a form of local income tax which redistributes money from rich to poor and would raise an extra £1.5 billion a year compared to the unfair Council Tax, opposition to military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and support for an independent, socialist Scotland.”
“SSP MSPs will only take home the average skilled workers wage, around half of the wage of other MSPs, with the rest going towards campaigning activities. We are in politics to fight greed and inequality, not to line our pockets.”
“Our message to voters is that if you want a serious, principled voice opposing cuts and fighting for socialism at Holyrood then you need to vote for the Scottish Socialist Party on May 5th.”
Vote for the Scottish Socialist Party on May 5th
28 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
The Scottish Socialist Party opposes all cuts to public services. We believe that the rich should pay to protect our services. We will seek to oppose and defy Westminster imposed cuts both in parliament and in protests on the streets.
Our proposal for a Scottish Service Tax, a form of local income tax, not only redistributes money from rich to poor but would raise an extra £1.5 billion a year compared to the Council Tax. This is more than the Scottish budget deficit, removing the need for any cuts to Scottish services.
The Scottish Socialist Party campaigns for an independent socialist Scotland. We will fight for an independence referendum and a yes vote in the next parliament. However, unlike the SNP who want to sell an independent Scotland to business interests we believe in a socialist Scotland that cares for the needs of all.
We oppose British and American invasions and imperialism, be they in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya. We are using our military might to oppress the people of these countries. We are part of the problem, not part of the solution!
SSP MSPs will take home the wage of an average skilled worker, half of a normal MSP salary, with the rest going towards campaigning for socialism. We seek to challenge greed and inequality, not line our pockets.
The Scottish Socialist Party stands at around 4% in the polls, within touching distance of winning MSPs. Help send the socialists to Holyrood.
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