Socialists and founder Sheridan lead charge of the other parties; COUNTDOWN TO MAY 3rd.SCOTTISH SOCIALIST PARTYLAST time round they won six seats - but that was before a very bitter and public split with founder Tommy Sheridan. Leader Colin Fox has claimed the most radical policy of the campaign - free public transport for all. They also back an independence referendum as soon as possible. SOLIDARITY THE breakaway party formed by Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne, who were both elected as SSP MSPs last time. They hope to get an MSP on every list and have promised 16 members' bills covering everything from scrapping the council tax in favour of a service tax, banning airguns and introducing free school meals for all pupils. SCOTTISH SENIOR CITIZENS UNITY PARTY The Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party (SSCUP) was formed on 3 February 2003, in time to contest that year's elections to the Scottish Parliament. The leading figure in its formation was John Swinburne, previously a director of Motherwell Football Club. THE grey vote caused a major upset last time when John Swinburne was elected in Central Scotland. Candidates include former Glasgow councillors Pat Lally and Bashir Maan and ex-footballer Eric Caldow. They want an end to pensioner poverty and a minister for pensioners. CHRISTIAN PEOPLES ALLIANCE BASED on European Christian Democrat parties, they call for a return to family values, pro-life and pro-marriage. SCOTTISH CHRISTIAN PARTY A SISTER organisation to Operation Christian Vote. Stand for return to Christian values. Unlike CPA, all candidates are Christians. SCOTTISH EQUALITY PARTY STANDING in West of Scotland, they want a "genuinely socialist Scotland". SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY FOUNDED by Arthur Scargill, this leftwing group stand for trade union rights and against the free market. UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY FORMED to take UK of out Europe, UKIP want to sack all 129 MSPs and give their jobs on part-time basis to 59 Westminster MPs. Have won seats in House of Lords House of Lords: see Parliament. and Europe but Scotland showing more sense. OTHER PARTIES THERE are a raft of other parties and one-person campaigns standing in the elections. Among them are the British National Party, the most prominent far right party in the UK. They have drafted in candidates from England to make up the numbers. Other fringe groups include the pro-independent Scottish Jacobite Party and the Free Scotland Party as well as The Scottish Unionists - a pro-Union party who would abolish the Scottish parliament. The rest include Scottish Voice, the Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist party in the United Kingdom, though it never became a mass party like the Communist parties of France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991. , Anti-Trident Party, Publican Party, The Peace Party, Had Enough Party, Nine per cent Growth Party The Nine Per Cent Growth Party is a minor political party in Scotland. It is registered with the Electoral Commission[1]. In May 2007, the party stood candidates on the regional lists in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election[2] , Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers (SACL) is a pressure group, registered as a political party, dedicated to exposing corruption within the Scottish legal profession, and whose main aim is to end the system of self-regulation for solicitors in Scotland. , Equal Parenting Alliance, and Scottish Enterprise Party. A number of candidates are standing on hospital campaign and NHS issues. CAPTION(S): BATTLE: Sheridan and the Scottish Socialist Party's Carolyn Leckie |
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