The Socialist Equality Party (Britain) is standing a regional party list in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections on Thursday, May 3, 2007. Elections to local councils are also taking place in some parts of the UK at the same time.

The SEP’s election campaign is aimed at laying the foundations for a new and genuinely socialist movement against the profit system and its political representatives in the Labour Party and all the main parties.

The four main principles at the centre of the SEP’s campaign are:

* No to militarism and war

* Defend democratic rights

* For social equality

* Workers of the world unite

The SEP insists that the fight against war and social inequality can only be conducted as part of a united class struggle by working people internationally, which has as its aim the fundamental reorganisation of economic life to meet social need rather than private profit.

In the West of Scotland our regional slate is:

Chris Marsden, 45, the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party and a member of the Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site

Julie Hyland, 42, assistant national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party and a member of the Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site

Robert Skelton, 37, a full-time carer who is responsible for the coverage of workers’ struggles across Europe for the World Socialist Web Site

Harvinder Singh Thind, 35, a classroom assistant who was a commissioner on the Workers Inquiry into the killing of Jamaican immigrant Joy Gardner, convened by our party in 1995

Niall Cooper, 27, a history graduate from the University of Glasgow who writes regularly for the World Socialist Web Site on Russia and Central Asia

In South Wales Central our regional slate is:

Chris Talbot, 61, a Central Committee member of the SEP and a regular contributor to the World Socialist Web Site, particularly on the African continent

David O’Sullivan, 43, employed on the London Underground, is a Central Committee member of the SEP.

Stuart Nolan, 39, a train conductor, was a candidate for the SEP in the 1997 General Election and is a regular correspondent on Spain for the World Socialist Web Site.

Poopalasingam Thillaivarothayan, 31, who was forced into exile as a Tamil refugee from the bloody civil war in that country and writes for the World Socialist Web Site on developments in India and the plight of immigrant workers and refugees in Europe

We call on all those who agree with our policies to support the SEP, participate in its campaign and vote Socialist Equality Party on May 3.

Below is a guide on how to vote in Scotland and Wales

Scottish Parliament—West of Scotland Region

There are two ballot papers—the brown and lilac-coloured one is for electing Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). This is the ballot paper to use to vote for the Socialist Equality Party.

Two votes can be cast on this ballot paper—a regional vote and a constituency vote. It is only possible to vote for the Socialist Equality Party on the left-hand side (coloured light brown), where the vote is cast for a regional party list or individual regional candidate.

The 18 parties are listed alphabetically, so to vote for the Socialist Equality Party, place an “X” in the box to the right of the party name, which is the fourth from the bottom on the left-hand (brown) side. No other mark should be made on this side of the ballot paper.

The Socialist Equality Party is not standing any candidates in the constituency elections, and we are not recommending voting for any of the parties/candidates listed on the right-hand side (coloured lilac) of the ballot paper.

Welsh Assembly—South Wales Central Region

There are two ballot papers—the white-coloured one is for electing Members of the Welsh Assembly standing on a regional party list. This is the ballot paper to use to vote for the Socialist Equality Party.

The parties are listed alphabetically and have been given a number. The Socialist Equality Party is listed at number 10. To vote for the Socialist Equality Party, place a single “X” in the box to the right of the list of SEP candidates’ names. No other mark should be made on this ballot paper.

The Socialist Equality Party is not standing any candidates in the Assembly constituency elections, and we are not recommending voting for any of the parties/candidates listed on the separate coloured ballot paper.