I declare May 5 independence day
It was the late former Prime Minister Harold Wilson who famously coined the phrase “a week is a long time in politics”. Well . . . I’ve been in politics for exactly seven days now – and old Harold got it spot on!
Since I announced my candidacy for South Ayrshire Council’s Ayr West ward – my gentle-breeze lifestyle has turned into a whirlwind. At this rate – I’m going to need a holiday before polling day!
It started last Wednesday while the ink was still wet on the Ayrshire Post. I bought a couple of pints for some mates and they eyed them up with mock suspicion.
“We hope these don’t constitute an attempted election bribe?” they all grinned.
They were joking of course . . . but it did make me think. This is uncharted territory for your humble correspondent!
By the time I got home, my laptop had lit up like Blackpool.
My thanks to the dozens of you who welcomed the announcement and offered their support.
Mr JH of Doonfoot reckoned that, if elected, I’d be “a cat among the pigeons”. Meanwhile, a Mrs D from Monument Road likened me to a “fox in the henhouse”.
I tell you, this election business is animal crackers!
And I can also tell you what a great morale booster they were – and I hope I’ve now managed to reply to every single one.
Even folks living in Troon, Prestwick, Ayr North, Ayr East and Girvan said they’d vote for me.
I just hope they’re not too disappointed when they discover they can’t! And that they pass on the goodwill to another independent candidate in their own ward!
I understand Girvan Common Good land campaigner, Todor Radic Jnr, is now entering the fray. Welcome to the party, Todor.
It’s also given me an idea for my first election slogan - “MAY 5 is INDEPENDENTS’ DAY!” At Morrisons on Thursday, I couldn’t get from Chablis to Chianti in the wine aisle without someone stopping me to talk local politics . . . but they’re more than welcome.
If it’s this hectic on day one of being a council candidate – wait until I start cutting about with one of those big daft rosettes on!
Down at Castle Greyskull however, it appears the news has not been so well received.
My spies tell me that several senior officials are already bleating that confidential council information might be at risk in the hands of a forthright newspaper columnist.
One of the reasons I’m standing is that the words “confidential” and “members only” get slapped on just about anything the council don’t want the public to know about.
Meanwhile, words like “openness” and “transparency” appear to have disappeared from SAC’s lexicon completely! That will have to change.
However, I’m happy to give chief executive Eileen Howat my assurance that – if elected - future columns will observe all legally required restrictions on commercial or personal information – in accordance with the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.
Readers will know that, last week, I announced that in the interests of fairness and even-handedness to all candidates – this page would be suspended for five weeks prior to the local election on May 5.
My thanks to the many representatives of political parties who have signalled their appreciation of this voluntary decision – agreed between myself and the Ayrshire Post’s editor.
In the few weeks of publication left, I also offered this page as a forum, for candidates and voters alike, to raise issues for public debate. Several readers, and Mr Hugh Morton of Prestwick in particular, wanted to now where everyone stood on the question of car parking in Ayr and Prestwick.
He wrote: “Parking locally is a huge problem – and we keep hearing of proposed solutions – but none of them seem to work. I live near the Heathfield Retail Park and its booming – mostly because people can park easily, shop efficiently, and drive home again. “Can I ask what the party leaders and independents candidates will do to make our main streets more accessible to shoppers – and attract business to our ailing and failing main streets?” Good question, Hugh. So, over to Messrs Henderson, McGinley, Dowey . . . and I imagine Prestwick independent, Hugh Hunter, as well! If you can keep your replies down to a “bullet point” 100 words or so – I’m sure there are many readers like Hugh who would be interested in your replies. Er . . it also gives me a week to come up with my answer! If you’ve got a point to make or a question to ask, email me on the subject
“Election Forum” via recordshields@aol.com