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.

Belfast Giants Days of Christmas

On Tuesday my second cousin and his bride who had minutes before stolen the name of one of his triplet sisters walked down the aisle as man and wife to a live rendition of Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas is You.

My friend, and fellow blogger, Andrew Reeves and I are both big ice hockey fans indeed he writes up match reports on the Edinburgh Capitals games. Every day getting to work I pass the Odyssey Arena home of the Belfast Giants. They are a sports team that has done a lot to reach across the divides in the new Northern Ireland. So here is their version of the same song, promoting their Christmas games schedule.

Is Group Blogging the New Black?

I was having a little joust with James Mackenzie (aka Two Doctors) on Twitter last night, I mockingly said that I wasn't going to say the nice stuff I was planning to say about his, Jeff and Malc's new venture Better Nation.

I jest of course because I have enough in common with all three of them to make our disagreements just that, a disagreement, a point of contention and not full blown out warfare. It'll be interesting to see how their group dynamic develops as co-editors having seen them together over the odd pints. It would be a shame to lose any of the three of them from blogging and that was the danger that Malc and James were facing over recent months so this new impetus may be the boost to revitalise their creative juices.

Of course I'm also embarking on a new collaborative project, not as James thought with Caron and Andrew as he suggested; like Freedom Central is for the Welsh Lib Dems but for Scotland. No instead I'm getting together with Mícheál setting up the Lib Dems in Northern Ireland blog.

Not of course there hasn't been talk of setting up a Scottish equivalent of Freedom Central. Stephen Tall editor of Lib Dem Voice talked to me about it at conference last year and I talked to Alison Goldsworthy about it there too. So why haven't we got around to it in Scotland?

I think firstly and the three of us have talked about it at times. We are very strong as individual bloggers. By that we are all prolific, hard hitting and bring a personal slant to the issues even if all three of us post on the same subject you will get three very unique perspectives. Secondly such a tool would be to encourage the other Scottish Lib Dem Bloggers. With the notable exception of Fraser Macpherson one of the top 10 Councillor bloggers in the UK, that is in a constant state of embryonic flux. There are some good ones out there like James Taylor, and Paul Edie, but the youngsters Ruaraidh, Callum and Kieran have all given up.

Whereas with Mícheál and me there is a challenge to highlight the Lib Dem brand over here. With a wealth of experience gained in different areas and fields. There is also the obvious media face and the backroom organiser between the two of us. Yes the deal has been struck that if/when I stand in Northern Ireland we know who the agent will be. There are two different styles yet similarly to with Caron and Andrew compatible. I think the boost of my returning has got Mícheál's creative juices running which I hope Better Nation will also do for Malc and James. We'll see how both those projects pan out

As for the Scottish Lib Dem collaboration it remains loose Alliance, with interlinkage and retweeting of stories. Plus, and this is a little secret, occasionally feeding one of the others, in the big three, a story because they would do it more justice because of the way they write.

Blogging May be Light Over the Weekend

Hopefully right about now I'm taking off from Edinburgh Airport bound for Belfast, although this evening I will be sleeping in my bed in Bathgate again. Yes today is the first day of the big move.


Though as Andrew Reeves has had in his highlighted posts on his blog since I made the announcement last weekend is it "A sad day for Scottish Lib Dems and Scottish Blogging"?

It is somewhat strange to be heading back. I've spent over 17 years including the last nine years and four months firmly ensconced in West Lothian. I'm a fully paid up NIPPLE* yet I'm heading back.

I don't feel like I really belong in Northern Ireland so much anymore, I've only spent 5 years since my A'levels actually living there. What is more strange is that the room that I will be setting up to work from home in was the room that I sat in to revise for those same A'levels 22 years ago. I will however, be sleeping in the room next door. So yeah I'll not be able to ad hoc pop into Clifton Terrace to hand in my various forms, ballot papers, or to rescue Kieran Leach for a drink.

Yes there is family and friends to catch up with both from before and through the joys of the internet ones I didn't even know 9 years ago. There are some good friends like Caron, Andrew and many others who I've got to know over the past nine years who will be a gapping hole, as I suspect I may be for them, over the time I'll be away. Also there are several (tens of) thousand leaflets that probably had my name on for delivery in the 2011 Holyrood campaign. Plus a few thousand doors that I'll not be knocking on. So in a sense Andrew is right for the Scottish Lib Dems.

My blogging may well take on a different focus being away from the Scottish political buzz day in day out. Actually getting to see BBC Northern Ireland's Hearts and Minds on a Thursday night rather than Sunday morning will seem strange again, but may well act as a catalyst.

Two things my blogging will still be is liberal and eclectic. It will still focus largely on politics both nationally, locally and undoubtedly also on Scottish matters (hard to totally take me totally out of that pond). There will be my usual diversions unto other subject matter whenever I feel like it too. One thing that somebody has commented on since the General Election was over and again once I was no longer contesting Edinburgh Central or the Lothian List was that there has been a little more freedom in my posting again. There maybe isn't that fear of stepping too far off party message for fear of voters (or more likely the press) reaction.

So we shall see. I think I've over the last 12 months had a pretty strong year of blogging, obviously the General Election and subsequently seeking selection meant the volume at time petered off. There has been some hard hitting posts where I haven't spared the punches aimed in all sorts of directions. I'll keep them coming don't worry.

Although having said that blogging will be light I have a few things scheduled.

* Northern Irish Professional Person Living Elsewhere.