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