‘Conciliatory’ tone is Tories’ best option
There are councillors to the left and councillors to the right. There are councillors trawling our streets . . . and crawling out the pages of the local press.
I can’t find my morning paper because it’s buried under a sea of bumptious bumph . . . all bearing the smiling faces of local councillors.
What’s happening? Is there an election soon or something?
It’s like they’re a scarce species of some sub-tropical flower. The Southus Ayrshirum Councillorus – a rarely seen shrub that blossoms briefly every five years . . . then withers away. Up in Troon, somebody’s rattled Bob Pollock’s cage. He made page two of last week’s Post by banging on about those nasty Nats in Holyrood snubbing Prestwick Airport.
Over on page six, the SNP’s
Ian Cochrane has regained consciousness and tells us that facilities for travellers in South Ayrshire are a “disgrace”. Ian needs to get out more. If he stopped 100 people on Prestwick’s Main Street and asked them to name a South Ayrshire ‘disgrace’ . . . facilities for travellers wouldn’t be one of them!
Meanwhile councillors Mary Kilpatrick and Chris Cullen managed to get through my letter box last week. Mary delights in telling us that her leaflet was “Printed and delivered at no cost to the taxpayer”.
It’s a Tory Party flyer, Mary, they’re not idiots in Ayr East. She also uses her opening paragraph to tell us she’s served two terms as depute provost! Ooer! That’s akin to being depute head of winter sports . . . in Hawaii!
No election flyer from Chris though – he’s decided his handout should be a ‘newsletter’.
Actually, I don’t know why Chris is standing at all. He appears to have already done everything – singlehandedly – in his first term!
And welcome to the election fray, George Weir, the SNP’s man in Ayr West. George’s flyer asks us to Vote SNP 1&2 – which is a bit difficult considering there is only one of him.
Oh . . .wait a minute . . . news just in . . his wife Margaret is apparently
standing as well! It’s just that she’s not even mentioned in George’s leaflet. Oh well . . . I’m sure they’ll sort things out over dinner.
But the biggest election story of the past week was Martin Dowey unveiling the Conservative manifesto. Four of his big ticket items – saving The Citadel, abandoning the town centre leisure project, saving the ‘High Flats’ and bringing back the Air Show – have been at the forefront of this column for at least three years. Martin’s manifesto is just three days old . . . and he’s already whispering that I’ve “hijacked” his ideas. Mmm . . a bit naughty there, Martin.
A much more conciliatory tone would be that we’re “singing from the same hymn sheet on several major topics”.
And I’m predicting that a ‘conciliatory tone’ might be Martin’s best option after the votes are counted on May 6! A Union-flag tea cosy could tell you that the best result for the Conservatives in the four seat Ayr West ward would be – in neutral alphabetical order of course! – Bob, Dowey, Lyons and McCabe!
The subtle difference is that - if elected as a new and genuine independent – I can maybe help our shared objectives happen.
The Conservatives that Martin leads have had almost five years as the majority party on SAC . . . and they haven’t happened.
Meanwhile – the word from the Nat camp is . . . that there is no word!
Allan Dorans showed the way in 2017 with his all-singing, all dancing, Prosecco fuelled manifesto at his candidate launch. His replacement, Peter Henderson, has yet to officially reveal who is standing where - and what they’re standing for. Are we getting a manifesto, Peter? Over at the Scottish Labour Party, it looks like we’re heading for another round of the South Ayrshire Council Hokey Cokey . . . We helped the Tories in, we kept the Scots Nats out In, out – shake it all about.
Five years on we helped the Scots Nats in. That’s what Labour’s all about . . . So which party are Scottish Labour voters REALLY putting in power on May 5? And shouldn’t they have the right to know . . . BEFORE May 5?
Finally, the battle for Prestwick is an intriguing one.
Having cut the legs from beneath old Tory war horse Hugh Hunter – the Conservatives are now up against him as an independent.
What I didn’t know was that Hugh was previously the general election agent for the Tories’ new young hopeful, dapper solicitor Derek Stillie.
Having fought together – they’re now fighting each other.
Thankfully, there’s room for them both in the council chamber.
Another independent? And with an axe to grind?
Yes Martin, that ‘conciliatory tone’ I mentioned earlier could be make or break!
A conciliatory tone might be Martin’s best option after the votes are counted on May 6