For independence and democracy: Scottish Socialist Party election manifesto 2011

May 2, 2011 --Scotland goes to the polls on May 5. Below is the Scottish Socialist Party's election manifesto. For a PDF version of the party's detailed election platform, click HERE.

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In a devolved Scotland the SSP is committed to implementing the following:

■ For a Yes vote in any independence referendum.

■ The introduction of participatory democracy at community level by establishing local assemblies with the power to make and veto decisions that affect their community.

■ An increase in the maximum number of councillors per ward from 4 to 6, to allow greater proportionality and more representative local government.

We will also campaign for the following measures, which are not within the Scottish Parliament’s powers:

■ A directly elected Constitutional Assembly, representative of Scotland’s regional, gender and ethnic diversity to draw up options for a new constitution for Scotland, which would be put to a further referendum vote.

■ A nuclear-free Scotland that is outside of NATO.

■ Military spending to be reduced to no more than the per capita level of the Republic of Ireland, which would mean slashing the defence budget by £2.5 billion.

■ A new relationship with the European Union which would safeguard Scotland’s independence.

■ All individuals living in Scotland to be entitled to full Scottish citizenship, irrespective of national origin.

■ A socialist Scotland based on the principles of equality, democracy, liberty, generosity and solidarity.

■ The abolition of the monarchy and all its structural and ideological supports, including the offensive ceremony whereby elected MSPs are forced to swear an oath of allegiance to an unelected monarch.

■ No unelected second chamber.

■ All elections to be conducted under a genuinely proportional system, and the scrapping of the anti-democratic first-past-the-post system.

■ The reduction of the voting and candidacy age to 16.

■ The extension of the right to vote to people who are homeless and to those who are in prison.

■ Participatory democracy in the workplace.

■ Support for the open source software movement and for all public bodies to use open source software where available and appropriate.

■ Greater use of referenda to allow ordinary people a say in controversial decisions.