A FLATBED truck with a poster calling for free public transport toured Edinburgh yesterday, The Proclaimers' music blaring out the speakers and the SSP's Colin Fox hailing passers-by.

During a pit stop, Fox gave his thoughts on how the campaign is going. "The overwhelming sense is of Labour getting an absolute doing.

"If I was Labour I would be worried because it's a whole cocktail that's doing them in - Blair, general fatigue with Labour, lack of inspiration in their campaign and their defence of the council tax.

"They've tried petrifying everyone with horror stories about independence and it's just not working. They're like the wee Dutch boy with a finger in the dyke being overwhelmed by the flood."

The Foxes are a family at war, with Colin at number one on the Scottish Socialist list in Lothian and his sister Carol at number two for Labour. It doesn't stop him pushing the argument that if people want to punish Labour they must not let them "climb back in by the back door" on the list vote, especially with Lord Foulkes - the former Hearts chairman and MP - at number one. "Block the Labour Lord" is his slogan, said with relish.

"The third factor is that Labour know they are finished on the council with the new voting system there. They are on the slide and the whole Labour monolith is coming crashing to the ground."

If this had all happened to Labour four years ago the SSP could have expected rich pickings, but now it is competing with Solidarity for the scraps.

Mr Fox said: "It would be disingenuous of me to say people are not bothered by what happened last year, but the polls put the SSP on around 5%. To be still in there with half a chance of success is quite remarkable."