Letter from Ally Hendry Printed in West Lothian courier 29/04/2010

As a socialist, I want the current capitalist economic system to be replaced by a socialist system based on equality and social need rather than private greed. This would involve taking control of the banks, insurance companies and the major industries and placing them in the hands of ordinary working men and women. The creation of a socialist society would help bring an end to poverty, injustice and war.
Socialists wish to see everyone being given the opportunity to fulfil their true potential and not having to spend their lives as ‘wage slaves’ in the capitalist system. How many great musicians, skilled doctors, great scientists and engineers etc have there been amongst children of working class families who were never able to realise their goals because economic constraints forced them to take lesser paid jobs to augment the family income?
If elected to Westminster, I would oppose cuts in Government spending which, it has been reported, in West Lothian would result in a minimum of one thousand compulsory Council job losses and drastic reductions in our vital public services.
To encourage small and medium sized companies to locate in West Lothian (and other areas), I would propose a policy of offering a rates moratorium for a period of 1-3 years and a financial contribution to the wages and training costs of long-term unemployed people given jobs by the incoming companies.
Although a devolved issue, another of my priorities would be to highlight the campaign for the full reinstatement of all services to St Johns Hospital. The reduction in services was part of the policy of the previous Labour-led government in its insidious drive to privatise the National Health Service.