Last time I voted SNP: Where did it all gone wrong?
It will be almost five years exactly since SNP councillor and leader – Allan Dorans, now our Westminster MP – invited me to the Mercure Hotel in Ayr for his party’s local manifesto launch.
Given that my page didn’t shy away from giving any party a hard time – I appreciated the gesture and have been grateful to him ever since.
Our relationship has been cordial, even friendly but it’s been a long time since I last poured him a pint of Tennents. Then again – it’s been a long time since I had anything really positive to say about our SNP-controlled South Ayrshire Council. I wonder if the two are related? After I left that 2017 meeting, I was an SNP voter. And I did exactly that a few weeks later. Their manifesto said just about everything I wanted to hear – an open
administration, no party politics in decision making, lots of consultation, accountability and pledges to tackle big issues – like housing, parking . . . and the dreaded Ayr Station Hotel. After five years of delivering those promises , the Nats would have been poised to strengthen their grip on SAC – possibly with overall control on May 6. Instead, they under-performed. They’ll be fighting for their lives on May 5 and will probably need another leg-up from Labour and the independents to stay at the helm. Where did it all go wrong? To be honest, I think Allan’s own election fortunes in May 2017 had a bigger impact than many imagined. Had he held onto his council seat, and the council leadership followed, the Nats wouldn’t have tripped over half the banana skins they’ve slithered on since Douglas Campbell and then Peter Henderson took over. I look forward to the release of their 2022 manifesto. This time, I doubt I’ll be in the room with a glass of Chardonnay when it’s unveiled.