Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne has called for an independent enquiry into claims of rendition flights at Prestwick Airport.  The former MSP lives a few miles from Prestwick Airport and has attacked "assurances" from Local Labour MP Brian Donohoe:

"Brian Donohoe says that he has been given assurances from cabinet minsters.  I wonder if that is the same ministers who gave us assurances that Iraq had chemical and nuclear wepons primed to attack us in 45 minutes?

"He also claims that no rendition flights have passed through Prestwick since 1998.  Even if that is true we want those responsible for the flights in 1998 to be arrested and charged for their crimes."

Rosemary called for an independent enquiry, free from state interference:

"European Parliament representatives say that there is now no doubt that secret prisons operated in Poland and Romania and that the flights passed through the UK.  We need a European, not Scottish, enquiry."

Campaign group, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC) has attacked Gordon Brown's proposed anti-terror measures as "gimmicks".

In an uncompromising statement released today, SACC described Brown and John Reid's attempts for cross-party consensus and consultation as a sham.

The package of measures includes another demand for the government to be able to detain suspects for 28 days without charge, a reintroduction of "sus" stop and search laws.

Full statement:

We don't need any more bells and whistles bolted on to Britain's anti-terror laws. We need fundamental change to our anti-terror policies. We need laws that target criminals, laws that protect the innocent, laws that encourage careful, rational police work, laws that discourage drag-net investigations, discourage prejudice, discourage racism, discourage panic. In other words we need the ordinary criminal law, not gimmicks invented to boost the discredited "war on terror."

At the Comunication Workers Union (CWU) Annual Conference in Bournemouth, postal workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action with 77% voting to back the call to strike.

Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary said:

"Our members view the Royal Mail's attacks on postal workers' terms and conditions and cuts in postal services as unacceptable.  Postal workers have rejected the company's arguments, rejected their plans for the future and delivered overwhelming votes in support of their union. We say to the public the threat to the very future of your postal services is real."

Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne has backed the union and pledged support from Solidarity members:

"Workers across the country are fighting back against cuts in services and conditions.  We welcome the CWU's decision and will join them in solidarity on the picket lines."

Hundreds of workers and socialists from across Scotland will join Sunvic workers at a mass picket outside the factory today.  Supporters are asked to gather at the gates from 2.30pm.

Solidarity Co-Convenor Rosemary Byrne said:

"These workers have been on strike for a long time and Solidarity have been shoulder to shoulder with them the whole time.  Today we will again show our support at the mass picket and I hope as many Solidarity members as possible, as well as others, will be there. 

"The women of Sunvic showed their appreciation and support for Solidarity at our election rally and we must continue to show them the same."

Tommy Sheridan, Co-Convenor of Solidarity, has called for a boycott of Tescos in support of the 60 drivers who have been effectively sacked after refusing new terms and conditions.

The 60 drivers who have been sacked are taking strike action from midnight tomorrow.  Sheridan said:

"We need to show support and solidarity for these drivers who have been treated shabbily and have taken strike action in the face of intimidation and bully boy tactics.  We are seeing an increasingly hostile environment for workers, from Simclar and Sunvic, Mauchline creamery and now Tescos drivers.  The Solidarity membership will be joining the drivers on the picket line and refusing to buy goods from tescos, I urge you to join us".

It is understood that Eddie Stobbart drivers will be hired to deliver in the meantime amid fears of empty shelves.

Ruth Black spreads the news of her election in Glasgow

As a result of the circumstance in which we were formed, on the back of an acrimonious split from the SSP, we were forced to fight this election on two fronts - against New Labour and their neoliberal agenda both at home and abroad, and against former socialists who have and continue to actively collude and collaborate with the establishment against Solidarity Co-Convenor, Tommy Sheridan. We understood that what was at stake in these elections was more than the gaining of seats in the Scottish Parliament or in council chambers the length and breadth of Scotland. We understood that what was at stake was ensuring that the banner of socialism, tarnished and undermined by the actions of those former socialists, was once again lifted up out of the mud and carried forward with dignity and pride.

This objective we have undoubtedly achieved.

Solidarity, Scotland's Socialist Movement emerged as Scotland's leading party of the left in yesterday's Scottish elections.  After only a few short months in existence the Solidarity vote totalled twice as many as the other left parties combined and came close to electing an MSP, despite small parties being squeezed across the country.

In Glasgow Tommy Sheridan lost out by less than one percent and Scotland's first Solidarity councillor, Ruth Black was elected in the Craigton Ward of the city.

Ruth is a well know socialist and campaigner who is currently manager of Glasgow's LGBT Centre.  She said:

"I am proud to be carrying Solidarity's banner into the council chambers and, although we are disappointed to not be returning MSPs as well we are already the established party of the left in Scotland and will grow from here."

Solidarity Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan was delighted at Ruth's election:

"Ruth Black is a perfect representative for Solidarity, she is a committed campaigner with a track record in fighting for equality.  We are all very proud of her and priviledged to have such respected individuals representing Solidarity."

Ruth was elected in the Craigton ward where she had twice as many first votes as the Greens and SSP combined.

A vote for Solidarity is a vote for a war on poverty and inequality. Gordon Brown said in 2003, when asked how much the war in Iraq would cost, that it would cost "as much as it takes". In Solidarity we believe that the same principle should be applied to fighting poverty and discrimination across the world.

In Scotland in 2007 a quarter of children are brought up in poverty, more pensioners die of the cold in their own home than in Finland and the gap between rich and poor is higher now than when Charles Dickens wrote about it.

Meanwhile, we spend billions on bombing Afghanistan and Iraq, occupying their countries illegally and protecting those who steal their natural resources. The UK is about to spend at least £76 billion on decommissioning, replacing and maintaining of a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons.

We say, spend this on pensions, giving every pensioner £160 per week; spend it on workers, with a minimum wage of £8.50 for all workers; spend it on students and reintroduce the free college and university education that Jack McConnel took advantage of before takling it away from future generations; spend it on our carers, introducing a £100 per week non means tested grant and free respite care for all full time carers; spend it on children by reducing class sizes and giving every child a healthy, nutritious FREE school meal.

Solidarity want to overhaul the tax system in Scotland. We want to see those that the earn the most pay their share. The Scottish Service Tax is fairer, cheaper and raises more money than the Council Tax. Under the Scottish Service Tax pensioners, students and all those earning less than £10k pa would be exempt from charges. Only those households earning more than £900 per week would pay more. The richest in our society, including the MSPs, would pay considerably more. They can afford it.

The millionaires may kick and scream and threaten to leave the country but where would they go? Every other similar european country has higher tax rates. It is time that they paid their share.

New Labour's time is up. Solidarity are asking the voters of Scotland to make them pay. Make them pay their share of the tax burden, make them pay for the bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

New Labour have scapegoated innocent Iraqis and Afghans, muslim people in Britain and across Europe, immigrants, asylum seekers and the young. Thursday is the day when we can place the blame back firmly where it belongs.

Make Labour pay on the third of May - Vote Solidarity - Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne