Vote and choose your vote wisely!
Way back in the sixties – when The Royal Burgh of Ayr had more ‘wards’ than the old County Hospital – the man across the street decided to stand for Ayr Town Council.
His name was Thomas Gourlay and I can’t even recall which party he was representing.
Yet, I do recall my old dad sticking his poster on our window.
“He’s the right man to represent us...” was the old man’s simple logic.
A town councillor? Living on my street? There was a real buzz about the place.
My father did his share of canvassing – but it was yours truly who did the leg work – sprinting up and down garden paths to put the “Vote Gourlay” message through hundreds of letter boxes.
Fast forward what is probably half a century . . . and this time the councillor living on my street could possibly be . . . er . . . me!
I don’t think my children will be doing any leafleting - they are too busy being working mums. And I doubt my grandchildren could even reach the letterboxes!
But what hasn’t changed in all those years is the basic principle of any election.
On May 5 – the whole of South Ayrshire gets the chance to chose “the right man to represent us”. Or the right woman, of course.
My name will be on the ballot paper – along with the dozens of others who have volunteered their service.
Whether I’m the ‘right man’ – or not - is for YOU to decide.
If I was guaranteed a vote from everyone who has ever asked me - “What are we going to do about South Ayrshire Council?”
– I wouldn’t even bother with the leaflets! I’d be home and hosed.
My stock answer has always been – “Well, when the time comes – vote for change . . .”
And finally, here we are. The calendar is unforgiving . . . Thursday May 5 isn’t going anywhere . . .
It’s the day this council’s time will come.
Before I ask for your vote – I’d like to ask you a simple question.
Are you happy with the current South Ayrshire Council administration?
If the answer is “Yes” – then sit back and relax, wait until May 5 . . and vote exactly the way you did the last time.
If the answer is “No” – then you need to ask yourself another question - ‘What can I do about it?’
For this voter anyway, the answer will be to look at the names on the ballot paper – and not the party labels that come after them.
There will be names you might recognise - maybe a current councillor who you know has been a diligent worker on your behalf, attended community council meetings and addressed local issues, has personally helped you or people you know and has been fighting – and seen to be fighting – for what you think is important.
They would get my vote every time. Then again, if you recognise the name – but haven’t heard hide nor hare from them in almost five years, or you disagree with many things they support out of blind party allegiance – it might be time to think about a vote for someone else.
I urge every voter to look at local issues – like the demise of our town centre, the controversial Citadel and new leisure centre proposals, the Station Hotel stalemate, the demolition of the ‘High Flats’ and the continued threat to Common Good land. Then question your candidates’ policy on these matters . . . and more. I’ve taken my stand on all the above – with my name on top, without fear or favour – for almost a decade.
In fairness to other candidates – this will be my last column before May 5. And I don’t have a problem with that.
The good people of Ayr will hopefully judge me on what I’ve fought for – and railed against - in over 400 issues of this newspaper
. . . not the next forty days of electioneering bumph and bluster.
Key to this May’s election will be STV . . . and I’m not talking Coronation Street here!
The Single Transferable Vote system allows everyone to pick their candidates in order of preference.
You write ‘1’ beside your first choice, ‘2’ beside your second pick – with a similar option all the way down your ballot sheet.
You can also ‘prefer’ as many or as few candidates as you like.
With many ‘wards’ returning three or even four council seats – the preference voting will be crucial. Yes, there will be those voters who will – rightly or wrongly – but justifiably, vote for the party they’ve supported for most of their lives. That’s something independent candidates, like me, just have to accept. No-one wants to be a second, third or fourth choice at anything in life – but I’ll take what I get . . . and be grateful for it.
I’ll be back here on May 12 – as a councillor . . or columnist . . or both!
But my final message isn’t ‘Vote for Me’ – it’s just VOTE! Only YOU can choose who leads the town I was born in and love into the next five years.
Choose wisely.