My Rollercoaster Year

Those of you who know me ought to be aware that I love a big, fast rollercoasters. I really need to go back to the States and experience some of the new rides since last I was there (1996). However, this year has certainly been one hell of a rollercoaster ride with its highs and lows, switchbacks and unexpected turns.

This time last year I was sitting in Bathgate, looking forward to kick starting the local Lib Dems into the General Election year, then onwards to the Scottish Elections and the council elections beyond. The same old routine as laid out by the election cycles. Or so I thought.

Sure enough the year started out in just that manner. On St. Patrick's Night I was selected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) again for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, with Charles Dundas once again my colleague in the other seat for the local party, Livingston. In the end I came third once more, was agent to Kieran Leach in neighbouring Falkirk (in which campaign I met some new friends). But I was very disappointed on the night that Kevin Lang in Edinburgh North and Leith and Fred MacIntosh in Edinburgh South had done exactly what the party thought was required to win only to no get elected as MPs.

Well eight days after the General Election I had my CV in to start the selection process for the Edinburgh Central seat  for the Scottish elections next May. So there wasn't any real rest between the elections cycles as I started to plot and plan just what I would have to do, first for the seat and then for the list. In the end after another solid 2/3 months of planning and canvassing local members it wasn't to be, but Alex Cole Hamilton had been selected.

So as I started to work for Alex and was settling down to work on the list selection process, which overlapped with the end of Edinburgh Central, I was brought to a sudden halt. Somehow in all the activity of the previous months I had managed to not notice that certain bills were not being paid, kind of major expensive ones. I tried to get finance from the bank but that wasn't happening. I then felt that the only way to deal with this was to return to Northern Ireland and proposed to work that I could continue to work for them from here. With time running out and me having a letter of notice to hand over if there was no decision on that day I was finally given the go ahead to be a home-worker.

So with that then came the task of packing up 9 years accumulated stuff and with the help of Michael completed Operation Evacuate at the end of August. I'd a week to settle in before I started work, but I was also looking for something a little more permanent over here because work, as close friends can attest, was getting me depressed in a major way, even before I moved over.

There then came an email from a friend saying "Have you seen this job?", I applied and found myself up against Michael for what were probably the most angst ridden two weeks in either of our lives. Until I finally was told the position was mine within an hour of a Nationwide conference call for Yes to Fairer Votes as the Northern Ireland Organiser. I just had time to talk to Michael before that call, and he has been a great help and support from that time on.

Since I've got back I hadn't been completely politically inactive, along with Michael we as local Liberal Democrats wrote a couple of responses to consultations from government departments. I've also been involved in the LGBT consultative forum, help establish Delga within the local party, been back across for Scottish conference. As well as attending two party conferences and meeting with others as part of the Yes to Fairer Votes drive.

This year I attended three Pride Parades Edinburgh, Glasgow and Foyle. Somehow I found the time and a person to fall in love with, though sadly that didn't go as I'd hoped. I've also been elected unto my new local party's executive committee as well as keeping up my record of being a conference rep, Sheffield and Birmingham here I come.

So what does 2011 hold?

For a start there is an referendum on May 5th, not the campaigning I expected to be taking up every waking and quite a few of the sleeping moments of my life. But there you are I'm working towards that and looking forward to getting back into the phonebank as people carry on talking to people across Northern Ireland about fairer votes.

After May, who knows. I have no idea what comes next.

Last year I felt that I'd love to find someone I could really connect with that didn't abhor the time I spent with politics and maybe settle down. Seeing as how intermittent my love life has been in the last twelve months it is almost like I am saving myself for that person. Maybe I might get lucky this year and find what I'm looking for in that department. My love life has been a bit of a roller coaster in recent years maybe I just want it to be a gentle punt down life's river from here on. But then knowing the passion I put into things maybe not.

After May I'll be looking for a new job. No idea that that will actually be yet, have an idea what I'd like it to be just need to see if there are openings that I can fill, it may mean a move once more, it may mean staying right here, I just don't know and nobody is able to tell me the answer to that right now. So it looks like 2011 might be another roller coaster year as well.

Stay tuned I'll return to blogging full time in May.

A Personal Statement - On Tuition Fees

The following is a personal statement I have issued as the former Liberal Democrat candidate for Linlithgow and East Falkirk in the 2010 General Election:



Last night in the House of Commons MPs voted 323 for and 302 against the proposal to increase the cap on tuition fees in England to £9000. If I had been elected on 6th May as the Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk I would have been joining the 21 Liberal Democrats who upheld the Liberal Democrat party policy not to increase tuition fees but instead to look at abolishing them. This had been stated in our manifesto as well as the personal pledge that many of our candidates in May signed.

The reasons I would have done so are:

• The party had instructed us to do so, not only in the years before the election, but in motions passed since the general election in most of our federal regions upholding that commitment.
•  Because personally the increase on personal debt to students is something I personally have been campaigning against since I was an undergraduate fighting the introduction of student loans when they first came in to replace grants.
•  We would be leaving students with half a hefty amount to pay off when they leave university, which when you take in the interest payments comes to a sizable part of a second mortgage
•  Even though I would have been representing a Scottish constituency I saw that the cut of the teaching budget funded by the increase in tuition fees would have a knock on effect in Scotland were tuition fees have been abolished.

I take exception to some of the comments made by colleagues in the party I have long considered closely aligned to me on the political spectrum.

Steve Webb wrote on his blog:

"I stood on a manifesto that had literally hundreds of policies and pledges."

I thought a lot of that was aspirations, many of those had caveats dependent on the economic situation, one that didn’t no matter what the financial situation was the promise not to increase tuition fees. He goes on to say that he was elected as part of 'Coalition programme for Government', a programme that allowed for Lib Dems to abstain if the findings of the Browne Report were contrary to our beliefs. That was a concession that was made to our party over this sticky issue yet Steve and 27 others not only didn't take that option, or uphold their pledge but voted for increasing the level of tuition fees.

Lynne Featherstone another blogging MP wrote:

"For some one like me – who has always believed that education should be free – it has been a difficult decision. Sadly, my view of education (free through raising taxation) isn't on the table – or anywhere near it. That vision was ended when Labour introduced tuition fees and the principle of free education for all feel."

Thankfully my colleagues in Scotland didn't feel this way and reversed the decision in Scotland and as a result that was the aspiration of our party nationally to repeat that process in both our 2005 and 2010 manifestos. I also think that because of the general benefit to society as a whole of those who go through Higher (and Further) education that this should indeed be funded, if need be, by increased taxation. The fact that it is not on or near the table would be a reason for me to further vote against.

Last night I heard Vince Cable even say that Scotland had failed to take hard decisions, I beg to differ one that Scotland has taken in that tuition fees should be abolished and from what I understand the main parties are agreeing that they should remain abolished. That is a tough decision made in light of the current situation and one that I was signed up to as a candidate this May, that we, no matter how bad things were would phase fees out.

At least in Lynne’s favour she did have the courtesy to apologise for breaking her pledge.

However, I am most proud of the twenty one, who I feel are erroneously listed as ‘rebels’ they have stood up for what the party believes in, and how the electorate who voted for them believed they would vote. Therefore I salute Annette Brooke, Sir Menzies Campbell, Mike Crockart, Tim Farron, Andrew George, Mike Hancock, Julian Huppert, Charles Kennedy, John Leech, Stephen Lloyd, Greg Mulholland, John Pugh, Alan Reid, Dan Rogerson, Bob Russell, Adrian Sanders, Ian Swales, Mark Williams, Roger Williams, Jenny Willott and Simon Wright.

However, if Nick Clegg things that those listed above and myself are 'dreamers' because of our opposition to increasing tuition fees, I'm glad that I can still dream of a fairer and truly progressive way of funding Higher and, I want to expand it to, Further Education.

I'll not stop dreaming. I will fight on.

Even though this blog may be remaining silent over the next few months due to the nature of my work, I will be keeping up the fight. Recently I was elected as a Conference Representative for my local Liberal Democrat Party. I will not be ripping up my membership card in disgust, I will be pushing up my shirt sleeves and getting down to the business of upholding the things enshrined in the opening paragraph of the preamble to the party constitution:

"The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives."

I'll carry on dreaming of achieving the above, but when I'm awake I'll be fighting tooth and nail to achieve it.

Note: This statement is made in a personal capacity due to the fact that I was a Liberal Democrat candidate in the General Election in May. It is not a statement on behalf of either the West Lothian Local Party, who very graciously selected me, nor the Northern Irish Local Party of which I am now a member, nor of my current employers. 

Slamannan Knife Attack on Pull Out Bride

Slamannan (point on map) isn't the centre of the universe, however today the village at the western end of the Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency is at the centre of the media's attention for very unfortunate reasons.

A 32-year-old mother of two children (named locally as Lisa Whyte) who pulled out of her wedding at the last minute yesterday is currently fighting for her life in Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, having had her throat slashed. The incident happened at around 10 am this morning.

The news just in is that a man of 37 has been arrested in Newcastle. He has been taken to hospital apparently with self inflicted injuries. The police are waiting to question him but he is expected to appear in court on Monday.

Police are still looking for any witnesses to come forward to speak to them.

The children are currently being looked after by grandparents. My thoughts are with them and the woman's family at this traumatic time.

Update The man arrested has since been named as he victim's fiancé Steven McKee.

Michael Connarty Being Curt with Non-Labour Voting Constituents #LabourFail #LEF

Strange to think that only last Thursday Michael Connarty was being as nice as pie to the people (well with the possible exception of Tam Smith) representing the votes cast by over half the constituents in Linlithgow and East Falkirk.

A concerned constituent has forwarded an email that was sent to him from Connarty over the issue of forming a coalition. Indeed he was urging him not to form a minority or rainbow coalition. The additions in red are my own corrections and comments.

Strong words Mr X,

Why should the Lib Dems be in any government when their vote fell, to 24% actually Michael this was an increase from 22% That means 76% of those who voted , voted AGAINST them, and their main platform of proportional representation So 24% vote and less that 10% seats is proportional? Also as you heard me debate three times you know there was more that that to our main platform. Indeed in our own coinstituency [sic] their vote FELL from 15% to 12%.Tsk 15.3% to 12.8% and also to your and your agents surprise, well done on that squeeze message over the last two days.

Indeed as an avowed Non Labour voter, do you not think it a bit odd and inappropriate to write to me to 'urge' me to do anything? I thought an MP was elected to represent the people not merely those that voted for him. Even Ian Paisley always represented his Catholic constituents. Would it not be more appropriate to write to the leader of the party for which you did vote to URGE them to do something. Well seeing as the Liberal Democrat representative at the election has been informed I'll leave that up to Michael as to whether I'll be passing the message on or not.

I am a graduate Economist you know that was one line I never used against Michael's constant use of it despite it being true and have been elected to various levels of representation for over 30 years. I am actually quite capable of analysing the situation for myself and assessing what would be best in the interests of the people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk. So in other words people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk if you have a concern it will fall on the deaf ears of your elected representative as he is clearly more than capable of working out all your concerns without hearing from you.

I am certain the Queen* will find it of great interest if you decide to write to her. Rather a smug sign off from someone who is an elected representative of over 30 years.

Michael Connarty MP

So there you have it folks we have elected an MP who argues that he needs two offices so that he can hear from the people he represents and serve them over two local authorities, two health trust, two police boards but he is capable of making up his own mind without hearing from you. Now that is a waste of opportunity. Something I'll be letting the people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk before we meet again, and I think we will, across a ballot paper Michael.

As I've already started answering concerns of the people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk once again it looks like I'm ready to take on the concerns of the local residents and challenge Michael when he continues to fail to meet those expectations. Maybe next time the people who turned to Labour in the dying days away from considering Liberal Democrat won't be so easily swung back.

* Actually seeing as the constituent has military experience and threatened to resign their commission and fight against an unelected Government by peaceful means shows a depth of feeling.

Campaign Diary Finale: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Ok at around 2:15 this morning the final result for Linlithgow and East Falkirk was declared. In case you did not see the result here it is:

Michael Connarty Labour 25,634 49.8%
Tam Smith SNP 13,081 25.4%
Stephen Glenn Liberal Democrat 6,589 12.8%
Andrea Stephenson Conservative 6,146 11.9%

So for a final round up of events I'm splitting things into three categories.

The Good

First off there were 6,588 of my fellow constituents who voted along with me for the Liberal Democrat change in our constituency so thank you one and all.

Of them there have been a number of you who have asked about and actually joined the Liberal Democrats, so welcome. There have been many offers of help and indeed some offers today of help for the next time, yes there will be a next time, and I look forward to working with an even bigger team next time to get the message out there.

The local media has been excellent. It was nice to see and indeed talk to so many of them last night at the count. Central FM interviewed me to go on air last night as did the Herald and Post and Falkirk Herald. The local media have actually been innovative in upping their contribution to this election campaign. Central FM did their radio hustings for the four local seats that they cover. The Falkirk Herald had us answering questions from the constituents and the Herald and Post asked us for comments about the first TV Debate.

One of my favourite comments from the night was from Michael Connarty. Who said that the people from his camp who had seen us in the debates had agreed with some earlier comments I'd heard that there were two candidates worthy to be heard in the Commons, they agreed that I was the other one. His agent actually came up to me saying I was in second at one point, until he looked properly through his box counts.

On a Northern note as I mentioned in my speech last night the success of Naomi Long in becoming the first Alliance Party MP pulling off a 22.9% swing in Peter Robinson's seat to take out the DUP leader. Also back home though there wasn't a change in MP North Down has returned to an Independent. Having resigned from the Ulster Unionist over the cosying up to Cameron Lady Sylvia Herman was returned in North Down.

Also thanks for all the kind comments on the doorsteps, via email and twitter. I even won the twitter exit poll with 66.7%. It is a pity that all my Internet aware supporters have an MP who singularly fails to understand the full implications of the Digital Economy Act 2010.

The Bad

The bad included actually trying to avoid speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News on Tuesday. My friend Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting had inadvertently 'leaked' postal verification data for some seats including my own and none to subtly pointed the finger at me. I couldn't have made comment easily without breaking electoral law myself and that was the dilemma I'd found myself in on Monday night.

In the end the three seats in question were not as tight as the news indicated, it does lead one to wonder if the SNP deliberately wanted that information out there to boost their share of the votes on polling day in those locations to avoid an embarrassment on the day. The fact that the national press did comment on the thrust of Jeff's blogpost and mention the Linlithgow name in each means that there was third or even fourth hand misinformation being circulated. If so that may have had a squeeze effect on me losing 511 votes from last time, there was surprise from both Labour and Conservatives that I wasn't doing a lot better against the SNP.

There is also the sad loss of Willie Rennie in Dunfermline and West Fife, having worked hard to win that seat in the first place and been there for that joyous night last night was the antithesis. Also the failure of good friends Kevin Lang, Fred Mackintosh and Katy Gordon to take their seats, the former two managing to reduce the Labour majorities heartbreakingly in Edinburgh South from 405 to 316. Also the loss of Paul Holmes, Dr Evan Harris, Sandra Gidley, Susan Kramer, Julia Goldsworthy and Lembit Opik.

The Ugly

As I blogged the other day the SNP had issued an accusational indeed potential libelous comment from their agent about accusations of defacing their posters by the teams of the other three parties. Aggravated by the leaking of the postal verification would have been ugly enough, however, I was also told by a constituent of a incident on their doorstep when an SNP canvasser used a homophobic message to try to dissuade them from voting for me, I'm glad to report that plan backfired. The SNP accused the other parties of using gutter politics, I'm not sure if this is an isolated or widespread method they used on the doors, but it suggests that they were anything but the positive campaign they claimed.

Also on ugly I was considering posting a picture of the blisters on my feet. Some of which have been there for almost 2 weeks now but want to spare you the horror.

Again thank you for all the support during the campign and the offers of continuing support. As you may be aware we now have an hung parliament and we as Liberal Democrats have a roll in helping Parliament to move forward in the way you the people want it to. Feel free to either tweet or email your opinions on what that should be, after all the Liberal Democrats may call a special conference of members to decide and I want to know what you think about that in advance.

Time to Get Voting

Polls are now open. They will stay open to 10pm this evening giving you 15 glorious hours in which to cast your vote.

In this election, more than many before. your vote can make a difference. Make it count for a change that works for you and vote Lib Dem.

One final comment, some of you have been letting us know that you have not received your polling card. DON'T PANIC you don't actually need this to cast your vote, just turn up at the polling place (station if you are outwith Scotland) and give them your details and you will be allowed to vote.

Also if you have yet to return your postal ballot you can hand it in at any polling station in the constituency today as well.

Final 48 Hours #lef #ge2010 #libdems

I have been neglecting this blog a little over the last few weeks. I hope my regular readers will appreciate that this is because I have been dealing with the hundreds of email and letters that I have received in the course of this campaign. (I still actually have a few to reply to now)

I would like to thank the many people who have offered me their support either in person about the constituency, via email or twitter. All have been greatly appreciated and if you haven't already sent in a postal vote remember to turn up to vote between 7am and 10pm on Thursday. Your polling station will be on you polling card.

For the many of you who I've met or written to but are still undecided I'd like to remind you of why your vote is important in this election.

You can make a change in this election, you can make our country a fairer place. A vote for me would ensure that your local voice in Westminster will make sure that you have:

• Fair Taxes that put money back in your pocket
  
• A Fair Start for every child
• A Fair Future creating jobs by making Britain greener
• A Fair Deal by cleaning up politics

For taxes the Liberal Democrats would make the first £10,000 you earn tax free, a cut of £700 for most people, lifting 3.6 million low earners and pensioners free from tax completely. It will be paid for by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the wealthy and polluters.

For our children that includes ensuring children get the individual help they need by cutting class size. Made possible by investing £2.5bn in schools targeted to help struggling pupils. Plus we'll give schools the freedom to make the right choices for their pupils.

To enable a fair future we will break up the banks and get them lending again to protect real businesses. We have been and will be honest with you about the tough choices needed to cut the deficit. We'll encourage green growth and jobs that last by investing in infrastructure.

Finally as part of that fair deal we'll put trust back in politics by giving you the vote the right to sack corrupt MPs. Restore and protect hard-won British civil liberties with a Freedom Bill. Overhaul Westminster completely; fair votes, an elected House of Lords, all politicians to pay full British taxes.

As I said in closing in the last hustings on Sunday night a vote for the Lib Dems will give Britain the government and the voice that the people actually want. Of course the above are just the highlights of our manifesto, as many of you who have spoken or written to me know there is a lot of details into specific areas, you can read more details here in our manifesto.

I probably won't be online much between now and the close of poll at 10pm on Thursday so I may not get back to you by email, but you can find my contact details on the party website and I will try to give you a quick answer.

Despite what you may have heard speculated about in the press this election in Linlithgow and East Falkirk is wide open. It's why one of the parties appears to be making silly, or maybe deliberate, mistakes. None of the parties can really tell you how it going to go because that is up to you if you vote here. There are still a lot of people making up their minds how to vote, even now, so vote for what you believe.

Also despite what the others are telling you a vote for the Lib Dems here can lead to you getting a Lib Dem MP. You don't get either of the other two, you'll get Nick Clegg and Vince Cable and the team, with your new Scottish voice (with a Northern Irish accent) standing up for you.

This Thursday you can make your vote count for real change and vote Liberal Democrat. I'm the second name on the ballot paper.

I'll see you online again in the wee hours of Friday morning.

Condemnation Given: But Stung By Accusation in the Tail

There is an issue of SNP posters being defaced and removed in the Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency, I am using this blog post to publicly condemn such action. I know that nobody involved in my campaign has been involved in such action and I trust that from my experience that neither the Labour nor Conservative camps would have been either.

However, I also take offence at the strong and untrue wording of the SNP agent Martyn Day over on the SNP candidate's blog. While asking quite correctly calling for the three candidates to join in publicly condemning such action he also says:

"[The SNP] will not lower ourselves to the kind of gutter politics we so often see coming from the London parties"

In the nine years I have been involved in local politics I have never known any of the five major parties to go around defacing and removing other parties' posters. To throw such a comment in at the end of such a statement asking for an apology and clean campaign is sinking to just such a level.

I would actually like an apology for such an accusation being made by the agent, who is also a local councillor and should know better. To cast an accusing finger so publicly to all the other parties is not in the keeping of the friendly co-operative approach that local politics in this area is renowned for.

I have and will continue to fight this campaign on policy and the ability to serve the people of this constituency. Those are the sole criteria on which the voters should decide who will be their next MP.

An SNP MP Will Cut Your Local Voice

The SNP are standing as they say at this election your local champions, saying that more Nats will get a stronger voice in Westminster. However, one of the answers from our local SNP candidate throws serious doubt on their ability to achieve that.

One of the questions asked at the Linlithgow hustings last night was is £180,000 in expenses an appropriate amount for an MP. This was £7,000 short of the greatest amount our Labour MP had claimed when he was the UKs most expensive member.

As I pointed out none of the four of us sat at the table would have a say in what was the appropriate limits of your MP's expenses from now on, or on their salaries, this was a matter for an independent commission.

Before me however Tam Smith plucked a figure of £60,000 out of the air. He was going to save money by not running a local constituency office and only holding one surgery a week. It would also appear from that amount that he would be hard pressed to employ more than one member of staff whether that was at Westminster or locally to help him out. He had already agreed with me that answering all the election correspondence by yourself was a time consuming matter, so one wonders just how he would survive on such a tight self imposed restriction.

There are ways to save money under the independent expenses cap and I will be aiming to do that. Booking travel tickets well in advance to save money. Looking for London accommodation that is accessible from Westminster but not necessarily within walking distance of the Commons where rents*are extortionate. So that would be somewhere that is within cycling distance, having cycled in London as a student I know that things have improved since then. I'll also use panniers to carry my papers etc not a chauffeur driven car like David Cameron.

Yes there is a limit, but that is not what you should spend to. You can be frugal within the rules and within the limits and that is what I aim to do if elected. But you also need to provide a suitable level of service to your constituents.

That is why if I am elected on May 6th I will also run a local office. Just the one mind, I don't agree with Michael Connarty that you need two to be able to deal with two different council areas, two health boards, two police authorities etc. You merely need staff that are able to pinpoint which part of the constituency someone is in and deal with the correct authority. I think it is important to have a staffed local office so that local constituents do not have to call a London or mobile phone number to get hold of you during working hours.

What Tam is looking to do is cut the service you would receive from an MP if he were elected, rather than aim to give you value for money. He is also going to be cutting the effective voice of local people.

* Yes under the new rules I would have to rent once elected, no more buying of second homes.

Bo'ness Hustings Online #LEF #GE2010

Just before I took to the platform for this evening's hustings I was told that it was to be broadcast live to the internet. I just had time to tweet the url before taking my seat.

I was going to blog up the hustings but I was wondering when I might have the time. You may want to take a look here while I find the time to get around to a blog entry. Apparently it will be available all week.

But well done to St. Andrew's for getting their hustings out there beyond the confines of the building.

By the way, there was a question about the gaffe of the day from the Prime Minister.

Are You Voting Today? #LEF

Thousands of postal ballot papers across Linlithgow and East Falkirk (and indeed the country) will be arriving on doorsteps, including mine, over the next 30 hours.

Many people are likely to be filling them and sending them off when they receive them. I obviously want the majority of them to look like the above.

Read this blog, read the Liberal Democrat Manifesto to find out what I'm standing for if you don't already know.

Tam Smith Plagarises Me and Fails on Facts #LEF

My SNP opponent Tam Smith has just posted a very familiar image on his blog.



Familiar because it is my image used on my blog on 12 April. Also wrong as Tam himself admitted in the radio debate on Thursday, which airs next week on Central FM, that three of us in our contest are opposed to wasting £100bn on replacing trident. So he is trying to gain political capital out of a deliberate distortion of the facts which he's even admitted in public.

As for Michael Connarty's letter to me yesterday, as I blogged yesterday he wrote to me that:

"As someone who has had cause to visit me at one of my regular constituent consultations or contact me by telephone within the past five years, I hope you will agree that I have done my very best to resolve the complaints or problems that you have contacted me with."

On further investigation I've checked that personal details given to the MPs on casework is not allowed to be used for political purposes unless there is some sort of disclaimer to allow their use. As a hoarder of emails going back to the last millennium I have checked that I have never signed such a disclaimer for Michael, or any other MP for that matter.

I've also just noticed that one two occasions the MP who said "I never give up until all avenues have been pursued on your behalf" failed to even acknowledge my concerns on tightening of our libel laws in 2008 or recognising Montgomery Scott Linlithgow's most famous future son. Also on prohibitive parking regulations for Livingston fans at Stirling Albion he failed to take action. As for his agreement with me when he said "I agree" he went through the wrong lobby for me and many other local voters.

Campaign Diary: What Would Yoda Do?

I got home today to find amongst the mail a letter which says:

"As someone who has had cause to visit me at one of my regular constituent consultations or contact me by telephone within the past five years, I hope you will agree that I have done my very best to resolve the complaints or problems that you have contacted me with.

"I have not always been successful but I hope you will accept that I never give up until all avenues have been pursued on your behalf."

Well actually I wouldn't agree and as I get around the constituency, read my emails, open other letters I know I'm not the only one. As for giving up, I'm sure Yoda who like me you have mentioned in the house would say, "Failure to succeed have you, given up easy have you. The force weak in you is. Need someone who force is strong in after May 6th."

So as for the final line:

"I hope I can count on your support on polling day."

I'm sorry Michael, you can't I voting for the best guy for the job, as are thousands of others, maybe even thousands of others who have recieved your letter (I don't know how many you've sent), that would be Stephen Glenn.

Well that is at least one vote I know is in the bag.

Radio Debates in Forth Valley

Central FM 103.1 Forth Valley's local radio station is holding radio debates for main candidates together from Linlithgow and East Falkirk, Falkirk County, Ochil and South Perthshire and Stirling. They are looking for the people to pose questions which you can email to news@centralfm.co.uk

I've been invited to a pre-recording for the Linlithgow and East Falkirk candidates on Thursday I will let you know the air time of the programme as soon as I know.

But you've seen the TV debates on the national stage now you can look forward to the radio debates for your local candidates, the people who want to be your next MP.

Debates on TV and Local to You

At the start of the Arnold Vinnick v Matt Santos debate in the final season of The West Wing Arnie while answering the first question says 'let's throw away the rule book and have a real debate'. I don't think that is going to happen tonight in the first of three Prime Ministerial debates on ITV, although I suspect that anyone brave enough to do so might just swing the vote in their favour. Instead we have the 76 rules to govern the three men who sek to be the next Prime Minister.

The thing is unless you live in Sheffield Hallam, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath or Witney you don't have an actual vote on any of those three. Of course I'm hoping that many people vote for Nick Clegg, John Mainland and Dawn Barnes in those three seats. Unlike in America where there is an elected president our Prime Minister is by in large the leader of the largest party equivalent to America's Congress.

But many of the people who are voting in Linlithgow and East Falkirk have been asking me what I think about certain issues. I know that they also have been asking the other candidates, but this so far is all behind closed doors via email or on their doorsteps.

But there is a sense that you can be in the debates, local hustings take place all across the country of the people who are contesting to be your MP. I only know of one so far in Linlithgow and East Falkirk of 2 May at 7:30 in St. Michael's Kirk Hall Linlithgow, but I will keep you informed of others.

If you want a review of the hustings last time here are the words of my Labour opponent last time on the opening day debate of the last Parliament.

"In my constituency, we had debates on the hustings, and the general tenor was respectful and humorous. At the end of the day, we all felt our opponents had not dropped into the positions that some of the national leaders of the parties did as they conducted the election. Our electorate appreciated that. The question is: how we did it. Even the Conservative candidate had been against the Iraq war in the public prints for a number of years, so everyone on our platform was against the war and we all had things to say about it. I am sure I shall have things to say about it here in future."

Applying for a Postal Vote: Deadline Tuesday 20 April

If you are wanting a postal vote for the election on May 6th you have until Tuesday 20th to apply. Although as I have said before don't leave it to the last minute apply early to give the registration time to query any issues there may be with your form.

20th April is also the last day to ensure that you are actually on the register to vote.

If you live in West Lothian council area you can visit their website here for more information. If you live in Falkirk council area you will want to visit here

Forms for postal/proxy votes can be downloaded:

Falkirk
West Lothian

But remember time is running out to get your vote secured in the way you want to.

Campaign Diary: Gather The Nominations While Ye May

Each candidate for a Parliamentary Election needs to be proposed and seconded plus gather the assent of 8 other individuals living in the constituency. While some parties may do this as a quick grab the first ten activists they can I think this is a time for a little bit of personal time with the members or supporters of the party that are going to sign.

It is a change of pace. When you are out canvassing you generally want to find out a few basic answers and more on to the next door. When you are delivering you tend to have checked out the location of the next letter box on your way up to the one you are delivering, and then are folding the next one as you make your way between them. With getting nominations there is time for a chat, sometimes a cup of tea (although best only to accept at alternate houses) and for the member to engage with you as isn't always possible in party events.

They get one (or two) on one time with you, and you do get a little bit of time to relax. Although you sometimes find yourself answering policy questions that you had voted on at some point in the last few years that are now in the manifesto.

It was time well spent though and I'm sure the members appreciated me finding out how they were and them being able to ask how the campaign was going. A temporary slowing down from the frenetic pace that the next 4 weeks have in store.


However, that was Thursday and now it is all go, go, go again. I own 4 clipboards, one is set up for canvassing, one for hustings, one has the paperwork for the council, the other is the diary, to do list and contact details. I generally have two of them on me at any one time, sometimes three.

Digital Economy Bill How Michael Connarty Performed

I've been kind of busy since the Digital Economy Bill was discussed and sadly passed in Parliament during the week.

Readers may remember that I stressed my concerns, and those of a number of constituents who had written to me about the various clauses in the Bill. On the day of the rushed committee stage of the bill many amendments were raised, spoken about and then withdrawn by the proposers purely as an expediency of time. That was the shameful way in which this complex bill was rushed through the elected house. If there had been sufficient times these amendments would have been properly discussed at committee stage and where there was dissent put to the vote.

I'd also stressed those concerns to my Labour opponent in the election, who is of course also my own MP. He responded initially with the response 'I agree'. When I wrote to him again earlier this week, he replied 'this is something that [he] will leave up to the front benches'. So how did he perform in the debate.

First up after a little bit of back of forth of pointless identifying which Star Wars © 1977 character various members of Parliament were he got called to make his first intervention.

"I am listening with great interest to my hon. Friend and I am a great follower of Star Wars. I realise now, however, that my hon. Friend has identified himself as Yoda [© 1981]."

You wonder just how much interest he was paying to the concerns of the bill or of his constituents that his first intervention was that.

I too am a great fan of Star Wars © 1977 , I also love the number of parodies that are available through YouTube etc. Heck even Doctor Who last night was again full of references to Star Wars © 1977 and indeed other other science fiction. You have to wonder would the BBC have to be shut down for blatantly stealing copyrighted material. The line "Help me Doctor, you're our only hope." being a prime example.

Ok Pete Wishart, got up to speak soon after. Pete is one of the few MPs of whom I have bought some of his copyrighted material, both as CDs and indeed to see him perform live. Other's do include Charles Kennedy, William Hague and Vince Cable, although theirs are merely books and haven't been copied unto my laptop, like Runrig, so I can listen to them wherever I am.

During Wishart's speech Connarty rose again to say:

"I am grateful to another vice-chairman of the Performers Alliance group in this House for giving way. Is it not a myth that co-operation, as we have heard, could somehow solve this? People are not talking about co-operating and sharing their own thoughts and content, but are stealing someone else's content and sharing that. There is an Armageddon, which has partially arrived in Sweden, where the Pirate party, whose leader is in jail, won seats in the European Parliament on the basis that everybody's work-including MP4's-should be free."

Therein lies an issue, these two are part of a Parliamentary group protecting performers rights. Thing is I am a performer, I've played in bands, I've written songs, poems and written a lot of stuff to which I hold the intellectual property rights and copyright. A lot of that I have given freely to public use. Some of it I still make a small amount of revenue from. But we see that Michael has sort of declared an interest there, he's also the chair of the Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, another vested interest in this debate.

His final intervention came during on of Tom Watson's contributions.

"I respect my hon. Friend's forward thinking, but he obviously has not studied his history. The enclosure movement took away the enclosures around small fields to make larger fields so that larger technologies could be used. When all enclosures were taken away in America, the ultimate result was that the wind blew the topsoil off the land and the people starved. I think that he has got his analogy entirely wrong."

I'm not sure but is Connarty telling the farming community that they better replant their hedges and make their fields smaller again here. He's also missing one thing that our whole world depends on, diversity. Options of what needs to be done has to meet the needs where the situation exists. Using the analogy of the American plains where the larger fields in tornado alley did have this effect does not apply to East Anglia where the vast fields still thrive. Thus it is with the move to a digital economy.

There are arguments that the technology that powers up most computers Microsoft's own operation system is actually stolen property from the University where the founders first came up with the idea. The same could be said of the largest search engine Google. In the enclosures that these projects first started out they were small and unlikely to get anywhere, once however they were unleashed by whatever means they have become essential to our everyday existence.

That folks in why the Digital Economy Bill fudge in the wash up period is bad for all of us. Also why my Labour opponent in 4 weeks time has clearly not got it over digital economic matters. He clearly should have sought better counsel than his own front bench.

In the end he voted for the Bill, hardly agreeing with me about the concerns within it as he emailed me initially.

In the Interests of Balance

Here are the contact details of my Labour opponent taken from his official election literature



This from the man who in his first intervention in the Digital Economy Bill Debate said:

"I am listening with great interest to my hon. Friend and I am a great follower of Star Wars. I realise now, however, that my hon. Friend has identified himself as Yoda."

Hat tip to Love and Garbage who's also blogged about it.

Lord Adonis Desperately Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Writing in today's Independent Lord Adonis the Transport Secretary says:

"To avoid a Tory government after May 6, it is vital to grasp now the fundamental Labour-Lib Dem identity of interest. This can best be served by Labour coming out of the election as strong as possible, able to form a government."

After I spat out my tea, wiped down my laptop screen and calmed down I asked myself what common identity of interest?

Labour have brought in 4,300 new crimes over the last 13 years. The Lib Dems are bringing forward a Freedom Bill to repeal some of the most ridiculous and superfluous of these.

Labour are going to running a big brother state and still want to bring in the ID Card. The Lib Dems have vehemently opposed these moves all the way and are saying the the ID cards should be scrapped and innocent people removed from the criminal DNA database.

The Lib Dems are saying we'll raise the tax threshold for Income Tax to £10,000. Alistair Darling in his budget just last month froze it at £6,745 despite a 3% and rising rate of inflation.

These are just the tips of the iceberg. I look through the policies on which I will standing for the people of Linlithgow and East Falkirk on the 6 May and those of my Labour opponent and I fail to find much common ground on the four key principles on which we are standing. Fairer tax, a fair start for our children, a fair, green, sustainable economy and a fair politics giving power back to the people. Even o the few issues that there is common ground on some of those Labour have been promising action for 13 years on occasion and have failed to deliver.

Maybe what Lord Adonis meant to say is that the Liberal Democrats share a common identity with the founding principles of the Labour party. Standing up for fair wages, housing and educational opportunity for the poorest in our society. Standing up for them against the ruling classes of whom Labour are now just another cog. Labour are no longer standing on that ground.

But if that is what he meant surely Labour voters who want the principles for which they joined or supported the party initially should be voting Lib Dem on May 6th. Then they will see the change that works for them to build a fairer Britain. Returning a strong Labour party hasn't done that for 13 years of failure