SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 28/09/05
Scottish Socialist Party MSP Carolyn Leckie today said that events at Labour Party conference showed that the party was fundamentally undemocratic and drew a comparison with the banning of four SSP MSP’s from the Scottish Parliament for the month of September.
Stewards at Labour Party conference this afternoon forcibly removed an 82 years old Labour party member after he shouted, "That's a lie," in reference to Iraq during Jack Straw’s keynote conference address.
Carolyn Leckie said;
“The Labour Party leadership are strangers to the truth and they intend to keep it that way.
“Clearly the stewards were implementing Blair’s get tough policy; ejection without trial by New Labour hitmen.
“This is exactly the same contempt for democracy that inspired Labour MSP’s to exclude four SSP MSP’s from the Scottish Parliament for daring to make a silent protest over the G8 summit.
“Clearly there is no platform for peace at Labour Party conference; they are too busy selling arms to the Saudi dictators to allow dissident voices to be heard.
“Free speech is of secondary importance to Labour, what counts for them is continuing their lies over the disastrous war and occupation of Iraq.
“What will it take before the Labour government admit that the Iraq war is a disaster and that the troops should be withdrawn immediately?”
[ends]
Notes;
On the 30 June 2005 four Scottish Socialist Party parliamentary representatives were summarily suspended and stripped of their pay and parliamentary allowances for staging a silent protest in the Scottish Parliament This unprecedented and draconian penalty was imposed through a process which makes a mockery of natural justice.
The SSP MSPs were tried in their absence, without any kind of due process, right of appeal or any of the basic human rights that are enshrined in law.
The 4 MSP’s made their protest after the First Minister Jack McConnell repeatedly refused to say he would uphold a vote of the Parliament on 3rd March 2005 upholding the right of peaceful protest at Gleneagles.
Despite claims that a deal had been done to allow a demonstration to take place at Gleneagles, the police and authorities repeatedly tried to prevent a demonstration, culminating in an attempt to sabotage it on the day by using the news media to announce that it had been cancelled.
The four suspended MSP’s are Colin Fox, Lothians, Carolyn Leckie, Central Scotland, Rosie Kane, Glasgow, and Frances Curran, West of Scotland.
