International

This afternoon saw the presentation in The Hague by SP leader Jan Marijnissen of the SP's draft election manifesto, an event which received unprecedented media attention. Its title, which translates as “A better Netherlands for the same cost” addresses fears that the Socialists in government would prove to be a tax-and-spend party, coupling the promise of improvements with the certainty of higher taxes. It demonstrates how the Netherlands could in fact become a better, more attractive and above all more socially-minded country if after the elections of 22nd November the SP formed part of a progressive government – without incurring extra expense.

The SP was, together with the Labour Party, the biggest overall winner in today's 2006 local council elections. The total number of SP council seats rose from 157 to 333. If the party were to repeat its performance in the coming parliamentary elections, it would grow from its present level of nine MPs to seventeen, making it, along with the PvdA (Labour Party), CDA (Christian Democrats) and VVD (right wing liberals), one of the major political parties of the Netherlands.