Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan's proposed bill to ban the private sale and ownership of air guns has received a major boost from the news that the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the parents of Andrew Morton, who was killed by an airgun, have joined the campaign.

Councils across Scotland have taken up the bill and a recent opinion poll showed that 82% of scots support the move.

The mother of Andrew Morton, Sharon MacMillan, his father and sister Cheryl will join Tommy Sheridan and the FBU at a press conference in Glasgow at 10.30am tomorrow where she will present a petition of 10,000 names calling for a ban on airguns.

“The campaign to ban airguns in Scotland is gathering pace. The family of toddler Andrew Morton know more than anyone the tragic consequences of misuse of these deadly weapons. Their courage and resolve to support the campaign is admired and welcomed. The support of the FBU is powerful and when added to the recent opinion poll showing 82% support for a ban across Scotland amounts to an unassailable case.”

Solidarity MSP, Tommy Sheridan, has lambasted Edinburgh City Council for refusing to answer questions from Craigmillar Child Services over the withholding of funds needed to keep the service running.

Patsy King, who runs the facility in Craigmillar, will be a guest on Sheridan's radio phone in show on www.talk107.co.uk this Sunday to talk about the crisis facing the facility, which is now in danger of going under due to the council's actions. Over 200 people are reliant on the service, which employs 26 people, in one of Scotland's most deprived communities.

Sheridan said:

"Patsy approached Solidarity for help and I immediately arranged to have her on the show this week. However, both Edinburgh City Council leader, Ewan Aitken, and his deputy, Ian Perry, have declined an invitation to come on and explain their actions in withholding money from what is obviously a vital service in Craigmillar."

Resistance to war   •Building for peace

Saturday 10 February

SIR CHARLES WILSON BUILDING, GIBSON STREET, GLASGOW UNIVERSITY

Speakers include:

Solidarity MSPs Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne pledged their continued support for the sacked workers from the Simclar International Plants in Kilwinning and Irvine Riverside when they visited the Scottish Parliament.

The workers, 420 of whom were sacked without notice or proper redundancy payments, met with politicians from all parties to outline their grievances and call for support for their campaign for fair treatment.

Speaking at a reception in the parliament hosted by MSPs Rosemary Byrne and Irene Oldfather, the workers called for action to be taken against unscrupulous employers like Sam Russell, the multi-millionaire owner of Simclar International, who has exploited some of the weakest employment laws in Europe to leave the workforce and their families high and dry.

Abu Bakr, who was falsely accused of being part of an alleged terror plot has launched an attack on the UK Government claiming that the UK has become a police state for Muslims.  Mr Bakr was released without charge after being detained and questioned as part of a supposed kidnap plot.  He said:

"It's a police state for Muslims.  It's not a police state for everybody else because these terror laws are designed specifically for Muslims and that's quite an open fact."

Solidarity candidate for the Lothians region, Pat Smith, backed Abu's claims:

"Everytime the government comes under pressure we see a so called terrorist plot hitting the headlines and mostly it is innocent muslims who are accused.  Muslims in this country have become the scapegoats and are held without charge and often without evidence.  We see it all across the UK where muslim populations and communities exist.  The terror laws are racist and the war on terror is an assault on muslims in this country and across the world."

Solidarity Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan will today question the Scottish Executive on shocking figures on homelessness that reveal a rise of 38% in households registered as homeless in six years.  The Executive figures were given to Sheridan following a parliamentary question in December last year and show that over 36,000 households in Scotland are now registered as homeless, a rise of 10,000 since 2000/01.

The Glasgow Solidarity MSP said:

"A 38% overall increase in homeless households is a statistic of shame for this Executive, which has consistently refused to facilitate the building of good quality and affordable homes in the council and social rented sectors.  Homelessness is not just a bricks and mortar problem, but without a massive and sustained investment to build good homes for families and individuals, to rent at affordable rates from councils and housing associations, the tragedy of homelessness will grow deeper.  Rising fuel prices, interest rates and council tax bills mean words of concern are no longer enough.  The action of new, good quality and affordable homes to rent is now urgently required.”

In Lanarkshire, the constituency of Tom McCabe, the Minister for Public Services, there has been a rise in the same perios of over 200%.

Workers from the Kilwinning plant of Simclar, who spent the night occupying the factory, have rejoined their comrades on the picket line at the company's Riverside factory.  Emerging from the sit-in Nan Wilson, Simclar worker and Solidarity member, told the supporters at the gates that this was just the start:

"We are going nowhere, the asset stripping at Riverside has begun and we will man the picket lines for as long as it takes."

Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne spent the night at the factory with the workers discussing plans to take the campaign forward.  She went straight from the sit-in to the gates at the Riverside factory.  The local MSP urged all trade unionists to get behind the Simclar workers:

"I have a long history with these workers, we have been involved in this before with Sam Russel and Simclar.  He may think that he can just do as he wants but these workers are ready to take him on, as they have done in the past. Back when we negotiated the deal for workers when Simclar took over the factory Sam Russel was determined that there would no union recognition, he didnt get his way then and he won't this time either."

Solidarity members are taking part in pickets and demos at both Ayrshire factories and at the company's base in Dunfermline.  Solidarity Trade Union Coordinator Jock Penman said:

"Local members from the Dunfermline area have been joined by the Solidarity students group who have come down from Dundee.  If Simclar are asset stripping, this is where they will bring the plant.  It is essential that workers of all parties get behind this and mobilise at all of Simclars sites."

Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan has criticised the decision to move Glasgows sports, arts and leisure services to a new organisation set up as a charitable trust.  Speaking after returning from the picket at Simclar last night he said:

"This is a cynical grab of our publicly owned services and amounts to theft.  These are our services, that we own, and they are democractically accountable through the Council.  It enables the lottery to fund what is essentially core council services and leaves workers with a new employer without consultation.

"The same amount of charity and lottery funding could be achieved by several forms of organisation but I didnt see any options on the table.  Why not put the workers in charge through a cooperative?  Local Government assets and services are being sold off to private firms and unelected quangoes across Scotland."

West of Scotland Solidarity have announced their list candidates who will stand for the party in the region on May 3rd.  Jim Halfpenny, a local teacher who has been an active campaigner for over 20 years was slected at the top of the list ahead of Danny Williamson, a member of the PCS National Executive.  Jim said:

"We have a real chance of a new beginning for the left in Scotland in May.  I will be carrying the Solidarity banner in this region proudly and believe that we can return an MSP from the West of Scotland."