509 votes, and it's all over... (till the referendum)

Well, a truly historic night for Scottish politics, with a seismic shift in the political representation of the Highlands and Islands. The Highland Liberal tradition has gone the way of the lesser-spotted Scottish Tory, with the SNP the major beneficiaries.

The SSP gained over 500 votes across the region - a small vote, and one which doesn't reflect the support for the SSP's ideas on a day when the SNP swept the board.

But the SSP's vote is not the story today. The SNP victory represents a huge development in Scottish politics. Scotland has shown yet again that the neo-liberal agenda of cuts, privatisation and attacks on the welfare state promoted by the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition in Westminster has no mandate here. We didn't vote for these policies in the UK General Election and they have been resoundingly rejected in the Scottish Election too. Instead, the SNP has won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament on an election campaign fought on progressive policies - including SSP policies such as free prescription charges - and on independence.

The people of Scotland have spoken, and they have broken with the traditional ties to the Liberals and to Labour. Even 20 years ago, a vote for the SNP was seen as a 'wasted vote' in many areas of Scotland. 5 May 2011 has changed that forever, and that has implications for all of Scotland's political parties.

The next five years will be hugely exciting for those on the Left in Scotland. The SSP will campaign enthusiastically for a 'yes' vote in the independence referendum, putting forward our vision of an independent socialist Scotland in contrast to the SNP's pro-big business, 'Celtic Tiger' alternative. We will continue to campaign in our communities and in our workplaces, fighting injustice and inequality. And we will continue to argue for the socialist ideas and principles which are as relevant to Scotland in 2011 as they have ever been.

Be part of rebuilding the Left in Scotland – join the SSP today.

Well, the big day is here! Polls have opened, so make sure that whatever you do today, you go out and use your vote.

The SSP is asking for your second vote - the peach coloured ballot paper for the Highlands and Islands regional list.

Whoever you choose to support in the constituency ballot, you can use your second vote to support the SSP and vote for a party with principles and integrity. The SSP have shown over the past decade that we are a party prepared to stand up for our beliefs. Our MSPs take the average wage of a skilled worker, because if you earn the £60k+ our representatives are awarded, you can't understand what your constituents face on a day to day basis.

The polls show that the SNP are on track for a second term, with the Greens gaining strong support too. But there's something missing from that progressive rainbow - a socialist voice in Parliament. The SSP stand up against injustice in our communities and workplaces the length and breadth of Scotland - lets have an SSP presence in Parliament too!

Renewable energy belongs to the people!

The SSP support full community and public ownership of all renewable energy projects in Scotland.

We welcome the SNP’s target of 100% domestic renewable energy by 2020 but believe that if such projects are left in the hands of the energy companies, communities will be left with the crumbs from the table while the private profiteers pocket millions.

In the 1970s and 80s, the SNP famously campaigned under the slogan ‘It’s Scotland’s oil’. Yet the people of Scotland have seen little of the billions of pounds generated by North Sea oil - instead, most of the profit has gone to the coffers of multinational corporations such as BP and Shell. But there is an alternative. In Norway, oil revenues go into a common good fund, and Norway – an independent country with a population comparable to Scotland – enjoys a far better standard of living.

Of course we know that North Sea oil is a limited resource, and although the SSP would take these corporations into public ownership, much of the potential revenue has already been and gone. Renewable energy, on the other hand, offers a sustainable, long term and hugely valuable resource. Let’s not make the same mistakes again!

The Isle of Gigha, where local people exercised their rights to a community buy-out and have subsequently developed a community-owned windfarm, should be an inspiration to communities the length and breadth of Scotland – both in rural areas and in our towns and cities. A few years ago Gigha was a struggling, remote island community with only 6 children in the local school – that number has now increased to 24. The community has been able to build affordable housing and attract young families, and community-owned renewable energy has been at the heart of this.

Proposals for renewable energy projects are springing up across Scotland. In some cases, such as the proposed wind farm off the coast of Tiree, they are opposed by local communities, while in others – such as the tidal power development off Islay, supported by the Islay Energy Trust, they have strong local support. The SSP believes that such developments should be in the hands of the local community, who are best placed to understand the needs of their community and the appropriate scale of a project. And critically, we argue that the people of Scotland should own and control these developments. In Ardrishaig, a 17-strong wind turbine development is being proposed, where the community will own one turbine and private energy companies the other 16. Since when did private companies own the wind, the sea and the sun? The mainstream parties argue that private sector investment is required to build the turbines. Yet assuming that the wind continues to blow, the tide ebbs and flows and the sun rises in the morning, this should be a guaranteed return – why should communities not benefit from state support to establish projects?

Scotland stands on the brink of a green energy revolution which has the potential to make us a world leader in carbon reduction, wipe out fuel poverty and create sustainable, skilled jobs in some of our poorest communities. Renewable energy is OUR energy, not the private energy corporations!

Scottish Socialist Woof in Oban

Another cracking day - back to Oban this time, where we leafleted Connell and Dunbeg villages before covering the Glencruitten and Soroba areas of the town. As you can see we had lots of helpers - 6 adults, 2 teenagers and 4 dogs, which took quite some organising just to get a picture... One of the teams also headed for the Isle of Kerrerra and haven't been heard of since, if you see them do take a leaflet!