Socialists pledge help for poor ==================== The Scottish Socialist Party is launching its manifesto with a pledge to boost benefits for the poor and increase taxes for the rich. Tommy Sheridan's party is standing in all 72 Scottish constituencies and hopes to poll at least 100,000 votes. A large increase in pensions and benefits, funded by higher taxes for top earners, is at the centre of the SSP's manifesto. Big tax rise The party says it would replace the council tax with a local service charge, again designed to benefit the poor and target the well-off. The SSP would also re-nationalise the railways and all public utilities in a programme of revived Socialist ownership. Rivals dismiss their programme as failed, fantasy economics - but Mr Sheridan's party insists it offers a credible Socialist alternative. The SSP leader freely admits his party will not win any seats, but it hopes to garner 100,000 votes - providing a challenge to Labour from the left in Scotland. Green manifesto The Scottish Green Party will also launch its manifesto for the general election on Thursday. The Greens say that their main priority is the Scottish Parliament election in 2003, where they expect to see between six and 10 Green MSPs elected. However, the party has decided to contest a small number of important seats this year to remind people how many major green issues are still under the control of the Westminster parliament. In particular, Green candidates will highlight control of GM food and GM crops planted against local will, the failure of energy policy to get to grips with climate change, nuclear power and nuclear weapons. They will also say that the social welfare system has failed to provide security and quality of life. FROM BBC NEWS, 17 MAY 2001
