Sheridan: May 1 is Iraq referendum

The Scottish Socialist Party has launched its campaign for the Holyrood election and is hoping to capitalise on the war in Iraq.

The party, which has organised a series of "stop the war" campaigns north of the border, currently has one MSP and is fielding 68 candidates for next month's election.

It said the May 1 vote should be "a referendum on the war in Iraq".

Speaking ahead of the manifesto launch, Tommy Sheridan said the SSP was "the most consistent anti-war party in Scotland".

In addition to capitalising on anti-war sentiment, Sheridan hopes to carve out a distinct left-of-centre alternative to woo disaffected Labour voters.

But Labour told voters that the Scottish parliament elections were "not a referendum on anything".

"They are a straightforward political choice between two futures - between Labour investment and SNP tax rises and cuts to public services to pay for a hugely expensive divorce," said Labour's Andy Kerr.

He also slammed the SSP as "more concerned about grabbing votes than the fate of the Iraqi people".

"A protest vote for the SSP will simply help the nationalists or the Tories," Kerr added.

The SSP has also vowed to scrap the council tax, increase free school meals and impose a maximum 35-hour working week.

The party hopes to secure 10 per cent of the vote and increase the number of socialist MSPs.

"A vote for the SSP is a vote to shake off Westminster rule and bring all of these powers under the democratic control of the Scottish people," said its manifesto.

"It is also a vote to use these powers to transform Scotland into a 21st century socialist democracy.

"We reject the scaremongering of those who claim that Scotland is too small, too weak, or too poor to go it alone and defy the new world order of the global billionaires."

The party says it "dares to be different" but denies it is extreme or fanatical.

"The people of Scotland have an important decision to take on May 1, 2003. You can vote for more of the same, for business as usual, for another four years of stale, grey porridge," said the manifesto.

"If that's what you want, then by all means stick with the boring clones of New Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and the Tories.

"Alternatively, you can vote to shake things up and make things happen by voting for Scotland's dynamic, trail-blazing, anti-establishment party.

"The SSP is the party that dares to be different, the party that dares to think big, the party that dares to stand up to the rich and powerful."