Saturday, 23 July 2011
Willie Rennie.....
Willie is doing a great job in the Scottish Parliament.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Barack Obama in Westminster Hall
What a privilege it was listening to Barack Obama live on TV from Westminster hall this afternoon. He spoke for 40 minutes with no notes, and held everyone's attention throughout...OK...maybe not Ken Clarke who appeared to be sleeping....but everyone else.
What a great hall for a great orator as well......900 years of history, and the American president did not disappoint.
It is very rarely that we are impressed by a political speech nowadays, but this was definitely one to remember.
What a great hall for a great orator as well......900 years of history, and the American president did not disappoint.
It is very rarely that we are impressed by a political speech nowadays, but this was definitely one to remember.
Simon Hughes MP on our green cerdentials and achievements..........
It's been a great month for Liberal Democrats who are setting the pace on the green agenda!
Two weeks ago, Chris Huhne, as Energy and Climate Change Secretary, led for the government when his Department's Energy Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons. This creates the framework for the Green Deal, a comprehensive programme of energy efficiency improvements for housing and office buildings, cutting both energy bills and emissions. Householders and business will be able to see up to £10,000 invested in insulation, at no up-front cost, paying back the investment through the lower energy bills they will enjoy as a result.
Last week, Chris Huhne announced the government’s ‘carbon budget’ for the mid-2020s, setting a legal requirement for a 50 per cent reduction (from 1990) by 2025. This creates the certainty businesses need to put in place long-term investments in the expanding low-carbon industries – renewable electricity, electric cars, home insulation. This is the most ambitious legally binding carbon budget set by any government anywhere; and by putting the UK at the forefront of the international debate, we will be able to push the EU and the international community towards further emissions cuts world-wide.
And this week, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, revealed details of the Green Investment Bank, the world’s first green development bank. Up and running from April 2012, this will use an initial £3 billion of public money to lever an additional £15 billion in private investment towards the low-carbon opportunities that are opening up – particularly in offshore wind and energy efficiency.
I was this party’s first environment spokesman over twenty years ago. It makes me proud to see what so many of us campaigned for all those years ago being made a reality now we’re in government. This is a key part of what we Liberal Democrats bring to the coalition, and none of this would have happened without us. As Nick said yesterday, ‘the LibDems have long been the greenest of the main three parties - the difference now is that it is not just a green party but a green party of government’.
Two weeks ago, Chris Huhne, as Energy and Climate Change Secretary, led for the government when his Department's Energy Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons. This creates the framework for the Green Deal, a comprehensive programme of energy efficiency improvements for housing and office buildings, cutting both energy bills and emissions. Householders and business will be able to see up to £10,000 invested in insulation, at no up-front cost, paying back the investment through the lower energy bills they will enjoy as a result.
Last week, Chris Huhne announced the government’s ‘carbon budget’ for the mid-2020s, setting a legal requirement for a 50 per cent reduction (from 1990) by 2025. This creates the certainty businesses need to put in place long-term investments in the expanding low-carbon industries – renewable electricity, electric cars, home insulation. This is the most ambitious legally binding carbon budget set by any government anywhere; and by putting the UK at the forefront of the international debate, we will be able to push the EU and the international community towards further emissions cuts world-wide.
And this week, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, revealed details of the Green Investment Bank, the world’s first green development bank. Up and running from April 2012, this will use an initial £3 billion of public money to lever an additional £15 billion in private investment towards the low-carbon opportunities that are opening up – particularly in offshore wind and energy efficiency.
I was this party’s first environment spokesman over twenty years ago. It makes me proud to see what so many of us campaigned for all those years ago being made a reality now we’re in government. This is a key part of what we Liberal Democrats bring to the coalition, and none of this would have happened without us. As Nick said yesterday, ‘the LibDems have long been the greenest of the main three parties - the difference now is that it is not just a green party but a green party of government’.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Pick yourself up.......
Alison Burns, Lib Dem candidate for Dundee City West has produced this recording to pick us all up a bit. Well done Alison. We have lots of talent in the Lib Dems and will not be wallowing in self-pity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhj2Sa7W40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhj2Sa7W40
Monday, 9 May 2011
Platform speech
This is what I scribbled down for my platform speech at 5am in the morning- ish.
"I would like to thank all those involved in the election process in Perthshire North- the returning officers, police and all those council staff here this evening.
I would like to thank all my camapign team....Lewis, Peter, Tina, Dorothy, May, Phil and everyone who contributed to our overall team effort. Thank you.
I would like to congratulate John Swinney and his team for their result this evening. Well done to you all. You appear to have a mandate to take forward your manifesto over the next five years.
I would like to thank my other two fellow candidates, Murdo Fraser and Pete Cheema for their efforts throughout.
This has been my first ever parliamentary campaign. It has been a very steep learning curve. I plan to persevere.
This has not been a good result for us, either at a local or a national level. However, Liberal Democrat values will be more important now than ever. We will not put those aside just because things happen to be difficult at the moment. As a local party, we will re-group and re-apply ourselves to working for our local communities across Perth and Kinross.
Thank you."
"I would like to thank all those involved in the election process in Perthshire North- the returning officers, police and all those council staff here this evening.
I would like to thank all my camapign team....Lewis, Peter, Tina, Dorothy, May, Phil and everyone who contributed to our overall team effort. Thank you.
I would like to congratulate John Swinney and his team for their result this evening. Well done to you all. You appear to have a mandate to take forward your manifesto over the next five years.
I would like to thank my other two fellow candidates, Murdo Fraser and Pete Cheema for their efforts throughout.
This has been my first ever parliamentary campaign. It has been a very steep learning curve. I plan to persevere.
This has not been a good result for us, either at a local or a national level. However, Liberal Democrat values will be more important now than ever. We will not put those aside just because things happen to be difficult at the moment. As a local party, we will re-group and re-apply ourselves to working for our local communities across Perth and Kinross.
Thank you."
Poll results for the 2 X local constituencies
Votes
Pete CHEEMA Scottish Labour Party 2,672
Victor CLEMENTS Scottish Liberal Democrats 1,196
Murdo FRASER Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 7,866
John Ramsay SWINNEY Scottish National Party (SNP) 18,219
Electorate: 53,412
Spoiled / rejected ballot papers: 117
Percent poll:56.3%
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire
Votes
Roseanna CUNNINGHAM Scottish National Party (SNP) 16,073
Tricia DUNCAN Scottish Labour Party 3,980
Willie ROBERTSON Scottish Liberal Democrats 2,256
Elizabeth Jane SMITH Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 8,907
Electorate: 58,093
Spoiled / rejected ballot papers: 90
Percent poll: 53.9%
Pete CHEEMA Scottish Labour Party 2,672
Victor CLEMENTS Scottish Liberal Democrats 1,196
Murdo FRASER Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 7,866
John Ramsay SWINNEY Scottish National Party (SNP) 18,219
Electorate: 53,412
Spoiled / rejected ballot papers: 117
Percent poll:56.3%
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire
Votes
Roseanna CUNNINGHAM Scottish National Party (SNP) 16,073
Tricia DUNCAN Scottish Labour Party 3,980
Willie ROBERTSON Scottish Liberal Democrats 2,256
Elizabeth Jane SMITH Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 8,907
Electorate: 58,093
Spoiled / rejected ballot papers: 90
Percent poll: 53.9%
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Leadership Debate, Perth Concert Hall
Several local party members attended the final BBC Leadership Debate this evening, held in Perth's own Concert Hall.
Despite the BBC's attempts to keep party activist numbers in the audience to equal proportions, a BUSLOAD of SNP supporters quite blatantly drew up outside the Hall. How and why were they allowed to get away with this?? It made a mockery of a supposedly unbiased audience. Is this a true reflection of Scottish voters? I like to think not, but it may be a reflection of SNP and the tactics they're prepared to use...
During the election campaign it's been noticeable that Alex Salmond has been avoiding the independence issue - he's managed to keep it at bay over the last 4 years, and no doubt intends to continue this over the next 5. But, asked directly this evening in front of a partisan audience of stalwart activists, the SNP's true colours shone through.
Alex Salmond is no Braveheart - he's more of a Bonnie Prince Charlie. He's no bonnie, and he's certainly no prince, but he's a proper Charlie if he thinks Scotland will vote for independence. Like Bonnie Prince Charlie he'll discover that, when the crunch comes, the Scottish people don't care for what he has to offer. Think again, Alex.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Courier hustings and photo shoot
Yesterday saw Victor Clements and Willie Robertson both at the Courier hustings in Perth; Willie in particular gave a rousing performance. Both received a very respectable write-up in the Courier today - well done!The photo was taken earlier in the afternoon, when candidates had a photo-shoot in the town centre; unfortunately Willie was unavailable, but Victor was there to fly the Lib Dem flag.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Not long to go now.......
If anyone would like us to put up a board, large or small, please do get in touch through the email address on the right.
Thank you.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Big bird
Explaining AV.......
This article recently appeared on Commentonline, two Highland Perthshire folks explaining the AV system.
http://www.commentonline.co.uk/general/FromTheTopDeckAlternativeVoting.htm
AV is actually just a very simple upgrade to our current voting system, but the winning candidate just has to be that little bit better to get 50% of the vote.
Their explanation is funny all the same though:
“Aye Vee, …Aye Vee, ah tell ye”
“Naw! Are ye glaiket awthegither? Aye Aye Vee is the thing, can ye no see that? ”
The raised, unmistakeable and less than dulcet tones of Jock and Hamish assailed my ears before I reached the top deck. The bizarre notion flashed through my mind that this was some dispute about an arithmetical calculation - but was it being conducted in Roman numerals? Eventually seated beside the protagonists, the situation gradually became clear, and the truth was hardly more credible than my initial thoughts on the way upstairs. Jock and Hamish were ‘discussing’ voting reform.
Although difficult to believe, the cries I had heard were in fact not ‘Aye Vee’ and ‘Aye Aye Vee’ but ‘I.V’ and ‘I.I.V’. They stood for ‘Ither Vote’ and ‘Ither, Ither Vote’ – voting systems devised by Jock and Hamish respectively as alternatives to AV.
Intrigued, I sought and got an explanation of both systems, here offered for consideration.
Jock’s ‘Ither Vote’ system:
Ballot papers as now, but with an additional blank box below the list of candidates and two columns in which to indicate your vote; a ‘Yes’ column and a ‘No’ column. Voters may put a cross in as many of the Yes/No boxes as they wish (in fact, in all of them if they wish), or write in a candidate in the blank box and vote ‘Yes’ or, I suppose ‘No’, or even ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, for the ‘write-in’. (Jock sees this as a positive thing as there can be no ‘spoiled votes’ with his system).
To arrive at the result, all the ‘Yes’ votes for a candidate are counted and his/her ‘No’ votes total is subtracted. A candidate with a net negative result cannot be elected; the winner is the candidate with the highest net positive count; and it is also possible for a‘write-in’ or for no-one to be elected.
In this last case the seat will be vacant until the next election, with a welcome consequent saving to the public purse of elected representative’s remuneration and expenses. (In his perverse way Jock sees the potential for humour in the ‘write-in’ option as his system’s greatest selling point!)
Hamish’s ‘Ither, Ither Vote’ system:
Ballot papers are as now, but with an additional box below the list of candidates to indicate ‘None of the above’. If the ‘None of the above’ votes are in the majority, then no-one is elected and the seat lies vacant till the next election. The same result in three consecutive elections and the electoral area is merged with a neighbouring area which has not yet suffered three ‘None of the above’ majorities.
Hamish sees the prospect of reducing over time both the numbers of elected representatives and constituencies as offering greater potential cost savings than Jock’s IV system.
Asked which system I preferred, I thought it prudent to try to change the subject and asked if they had thought about the problem of low turnout and the introduction of compulsory voting.
“Nae need”, they said in unison, “wi’ oany o’ oor systems, an’ the chance they gie tae cut doon on the nummer o’ numpties wi’ thur nebs in the trough, – man, ye wull hae tae be batin’ fowk ower the heid wi’ sticks tae keep them frae votin’ !”
It is heartening to know that democracy is safe when the likes of Jock and Hamish take such an interest.
http://www.commentonline.co.uk/general/FromTheTopDeckAlternativeVoting.htm
AV is actually just a very simple upgrade to our current voting system, but the winning candidate just has to be that little bit better to get 50% of the vote.
Their explanation is funny all the same though:
“Aye Vee, …Aye Vee, ah tell ye”
“Naw! Are ye glaiket awthegither? Aye Aye Vee is the thing, can ye no see that? ”
The raised, unmistakeable and less than dulcet tones of Jock and Hamish assailed my ears before I reached the top deck. The bizarre notion flashed through my mind that this was some dispute about an arithmetical calculation - but was it being conducted in Roman numerals? Eventually seated beside the protagonists, the situation gradually became clear, and the truth was hardly more credible than my initial thoughts on the way upstairs. Jock and Hamish were ‘discussing’ voting reform.
Although difficult to believe, the cries I had heard were in fact not ‘Aye Vee’ and ‘Aye Aye Vee’ but ‘I.V’ and ‘I.I.V’. They stood for ‘Ither Vote’ and ‘Ither, Ither Vote’ – voting systems devised by Jock and Hamish respectively as alternatives to AV.
Intrigued, I sought and got an explanation of both systems, here offered for consideration.
Jock’s ‘Ither Vote’ system:
Ballot papers as now, but with an additional blank box below the list of candidates and two columns in which to indicate your vote; a ‘Yes’ column and a ‘No’ column. Voters may put a cross in as many of the Yes/No boxes as they wish (in fact, in all of them if they wish), or write in a candidate in the blank box and vote ‘Yes’ or, I suppose ‘No’, or even ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, for the ‘write-in’. (Jock sees this as a positive thing as there can be no ‘spoiled votes’ with his system).
To arrive at the result, all the ‘Yes’ votes for a candidate are counted and his/her ‘No’ votes total is subtracted. A candidate with a net negative result cannot be elected; the winner is the candidate with the highest net positive count; and it is also possible for a‘write-in’ or for no-one to be elected.
In this last case the seat will be vacant until the next election, with a welcome consequent saving to the public purse of elected representative’s remuneration and expenses. (In his perverse way Jock sees the potential for humour in the ‘write-in’ option as his system’s greatest selling point!)
Hamish’s ‘Ither, Ither Vote’ system:
Ballot papers are as now, but with an additional box below the list of candidates to indicate ‘None of the above’. If the ‘None of the above’ votes are in the majority, then no-one is elected and the seat lies vacant till the next election. The same result in three consecutive elections and the electoral area is merged with a neighbouring area which has not yet suffered three ‘None of the above’ majorities.
Hamish sees the prospect of reducing over time both the numbers of elected representatives and constituencies as offering greater potential cost savings than Jock’s IV system.
Asked which system I preferred, I thought it prudent to try to change the subject and asked if they had thought about the problem of low turnout and the introduction of compulsory voting.
“Nae need”, they said in unison, “wi’ oany o’ oor systems, an’ the chance they gie tae cut doon on the nummer o’ numpties wi’ thur nebs in the trough, – man, ye wull hae tae be batin’ fowk ower the heid wi’ sticks tae keep them frae votin’ !”
It is heartening to know that democracy is safe when the likes of Jock and Hamish take such an interest.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Lots to do......
Spent all afternoon responding to emails and preparing for FSB hustings in Birnam tomorrow. Things are starting to hot up now. There are three hustings next week. On Tues in the AK Bell Library in Perth, the Courier/ Perth Chamber of Commerce are on, on Wed Breadalbane Community Campus, on Thurs the NFUS in the Huntingtower Hotel on Crieff Road. Lots to do, work is starting to fall by the wayside a bit now.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Drip feeding of celebrity endorsements
There is a very good letter in The Scotsman today, criticizing the strategy of drip feeding celebrity endorsements for Alex Salmond.
Given their fantasy manifesto published this week, it is maybe no surprise that they think they need this parallel strategy.
As a first time candidate in the Scottish elections, I am amazed at the lack of discussion or analysis on the policies of both the SNP and Labour.
Whoever wins on 5th May will be making decisions about our lives for the next five years. If we make our decisions on celebrity endorsements, we will all be in big trouble.
Given their fantasy manifesto published this week, it is maybe no surprise that they think they need this parallel strategy.
As a first time candidate in the Scottish elections, I am amazed at the lack of discussion or analysis on the policies of both the SNP and Labour.
Whoever wins on 5th May will be making decisions about our lives for the next five years. If we make our decisions on celebrity endorsements, we will all be in big trouble.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Out and about in Perthshire today
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Poster boards again
Sunshine on Perth
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Manifesto reaction
The Scottish Liberal Democrats launched their manifesto yesterday. More about this again. The big central issue is the restructuring of the Scottish Water debt which would raise £1.5 billion for projects in Scotland.
That nice Mr Swinney thinks it cannot work, but he would say that, would'nt he? His advisors suggested he do this last summer, but he did not take it up. Probably because a good working relationship with the UK governmet is required.
We will doubtless hear more on this in the next few days. The manifesto is full of substance, and gives us something solid to work with going in to 5th May.
That nice Mr Swinney thinks it cannot work, but he would say that, would'nt he? His advisors suggested he do this last summer, but he did not take it up. Probably because a good working relationship with the UK governmet is required.
We will doubtless hear more on this in the next few days. The manifesto is full of substance, and gives us something solid to work with going in to 5th May.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Perthshire North
You can find some background information in Perthshire North here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/election2011/constituency/html/36128.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/election2011/constituency/html/36128.stm
Campaigning to save our police and Fire & Rescue Services
Other People's campaign literature
We had a really good distributing leafletts in North Muirton in Perth on Saturday. Leafletting often provides opportunities to see what other parties are putting out if they get stuck in people's letterboxes.
Labour have a leaflet out, 75% of which is focused on targetting the SNP for their broken promises. You can see link to these here below. This may well all be right of course, but no mention of what Labour are intending to do. Labour are getting the wobbles at the moment, no doubt about that.
http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/100brokenSNPpromises
One of Murdo Fraser's leafletters helpfully left a Tory newspaper where it could be accessed. One point of note was in the Voting Day information section, where it says that voters will be issued with two voting papers.
They will actually be getting three, the third being the AV referendum paper. The Tories may well be against this, but surely they can provide people with the right information......!!
Labour have a leaflet out, 75% of which is focused on targetting the SNP for their broken promises. You can see link to these here below. This may well all be right of course, but no mention of what Labour are intending to do. Labour are getting the wobbles at the moment, no doubt about that.
http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/100brokenSNPpromises
One of Murdo Fraser's leafletters helpfully left a Tory newspaper where it could be accessed. One point of note was in the Voting Day information section, where it says that voters will be issued with two voting papers.
They will actually be getting three, the third being the AV referendum paper. The Tories may well be against this, but surely they can provide people with the right information......!!
Friday, 1 April 2011
AV Referendum Victor
The character chosen to explain the voting systems for the AV Referendum is to be called Victor!!
Yeah!!
I will find a way of using that in my campaign.
The priorities for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in this election are jobs and the economy, education & training and protecting local services from the centralizing Agenda of the SNP and Labour party. But the AV Referendum is going on as well, many people will be interested in it, and I will of course be campaigning for a YES vote.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12929457
Yeah!!
I will find a way of using that in my campaign.
The priorities for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in this election are jobs and the economy, education & training and protecting local services from the centralizing Agenda of the SNP and Labour party. But the AV Referendum is going on as well, many people will be interested in it, and I will of course be campaigning for a YES vote.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12929457
Leaders debate
There was no stand-out performance really. Amazing then that opinion polls say that Alex Salmond got 87% of the vote for who did the best on the evening. The shallowness of the analysis of these events is just breath-taking really, with no critical analysis of how the information is gathered at all. Hopefully the BBC event on 1st May will be a lot better.
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