33: Distaffinada

Posted on April 2, 2011 by davidsberry

Another blog (Burdzeyeview) hit on the excellent idea of having guest spots. The Burd set the bar rather high by starting with What Women Want and historical novelist Sara Sheridan doing first post. Her blog connects closely with women I have canvassed locally, especially their distance from, if not hostility to, the political process.

These women, like Sara, were mature, articulate who, for all their life-experience, retained both idealism and healthy contact with their soul. The general run of politics owes much to tribal instincts and military terms, so little wonder we have–in the words of Cool Hand Luke–a ‘failure to communicate’. On behalf of a blizzard of rosette-wearing anoraks, I offer apologies for their ritual cant.

But among them are some, for whom standing up for their home patch, articulating what its people feel/aspire to and taking flak in their cause generates the very enthusiasm that drives us. Not all rogues are in politics, nor all idealists in single-issue causes. And though some people enter politics for money/status, don’t accuse older SNP members of that—they had neither through three dark decades of Thatcher and Blair.

I’m saddened that Sara thinks the SNP ‘narrow’. Having worked in five countries and with friends all round the world, I find it a broad church. One lesson learned in 25+ years furth of Scotland was pride in who you are without it being at anyone’s expense. The Swiss and Costa Riceños know this. Closer to home, the Irish do too.  Despite financial maelstrom, not one party at their recent election stood on a platform of re-union with Britain to save their fiscal bacon. They’re proud and capable. Ninety years of freedom will do that to a people.

"The issue I care most about is integrity and sadly, I’m not seeing that."

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34: Campaign Launch

Posted on April 1, 2011 by davidsberry

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that my campaign has had all oars in the water and pulling for victory for months now. But today is a special day: not only will a pile of friends and tireless activists be taking a well earned break to relax and socialise together at my official Adoption Meeting in Longniddry but today sees my first campaign video launch across social networks (see above right for link). This will reach thousands of new SNP voters on whose doorstep I have not yet had the chance to stand, but who need sight of who it is we are asking them to place their trust in for the future of our county.

For all my offhand remarks and acid commentary, that is something that I do take very seriously. The Scottish Parliament controls 90% of those things that affect our daily lives. Yes, the UK handles taxes and benefits, diplomacy and the military. But when it comes to homes, schools, roads, health, business, culture, sport, social work, justice,  transport,  environment—in effect all the things we get into heated debates about because they all affect us directly, then it’s Holyrood that decides.

That’s where I—given your support—need to go next to make a difference on your behalf.

No-one safe from me: Greeting Prince Charles (aka Duke of Rothesay) SSC Opening, 2000

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35: Who Cares?

Posted on March 31, 2011 by davidsberry

To Haddington with my three opponents for a grilling (even if not billed as a hustings) at the hands of Carers of East Lothian (CEL). In short speeches, we made various points—that the care system would collapse without volunteer carers, that an estimate of cost to ‘replace’ them is £8bn and future support needs for carers. Both Tory and Labour would integrate social work and NHS budgets—the Tories putting it under NHS control. I disagree with that because of the NHS’s cultural problem acting as a partner and absence of democratic accountability.

The blind questions posed were largely zingers. Here were fifty or so hands-on carers, feeling grossly under-appreciated and -rewarded and presented with would-be MSPs who might do something about that. All four on the panel made a decent fist of positions on: frail people with frail carers; how people could avoid staying at home; how to avoid bed-blocking; why those who work full-time are disqualified from carers’ allowances.

The hardest question for me was about a major lack of respite provision across the county. Although I knew there was a problem, despite my involvement with ELC’s revamp of ASC and listened closely at the last CEL AGM, I simply had not appreciated either its top priority, nor its scale and frankly admitted as much.

Of the other three, the Lib-Dem was clearly the weakest, relying too much on a ‘not being a professional’ and direct personal experience in her answers. After the event, I stayed on to chat with still-agitated carers, who convinced me that none of the panel yet understood either the scale/range of carer involvement and respite needs or could quantify what it would take for the public sector to provide adequate solutions.

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Some Endorsements

Posted on March 30, 2011 by davidsberry

This gallery contains 5 photos.

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36: Alex for President

Posted on March 30, 2011 by davidsberry

Last night, the first of the ‘Presidential’ leaders’ debates on STV was neither decisive nor the kind of riveting television that will spark political interest among the wider public. But press consensus (and not just my opinion) is that Mr Salmond came out the clear winner. In the opening exchanges about the achievements of the SNP administration, he kept it simple, stressing the scrapping of prescription charges, help for pensioners through the council tax freeze and free education.

Labour’s Mr Gray got himself bogged down on jobs and the economy, running through an argument about jobless levels which didn’t carry the same punch as the First Minister’s lines. He then tried to intervene on Mr Salmond which, again, didn’t work well. He looked like he was hectoring while Mr Salmond appeared more calm. It was almost as if, because Labour know how important these debates are in raising the profile and reputation of their leader, that Mr Gray pushed too hard, too early. Though he got better later, the damage was already done and Annabelle Goldie hand-bagged him several times for voting against budgets that gave Labour what they had asked for.

Worse, Mr Gray’s performance will not have made up ground his party is losing on other fronts. Yesterday’s STV poll had the SNP catching up from a 15% disadvantage to be neck-and-neck (37% vs 38%) and today’s Hootsmon poll has the SNP reaching its 40% target while Labour trails them for the first time in years.

But perhaps most damning verdict is in the Spectator, entitled Iain Gray’s Remarkable No-Man Band. If Scottish politics has—for good or ill—become increasingly presidential, then it’s clear who has the inside track to the job.

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37: Vocal for Vocational

Posted on March 28, 2011 by davidsberry

Having served twelve years on an Education Committee and been at more parent councils/boards than I’ve had hot school dinners I know how parents value excellent schools and opportunities they give their children. Laudable stuff, especially when they are themselves engaged. But, despite being the first (and only) member of my family to take a degree, I believe education is off-balance here in Scotland. An over-emphasis on academic tertiary conceals a serious neglect of vocational education. This must stop.

Over the next seven years, employment in Scotland’s creative and cultural industries is predicted to expand by 40%, generating 18,000 new jobs. Employment in those industries responsible for management and development of the built environment – encompassing property, planning, housing, facilities management, cleaning and support services and parking industries – looks set to grow by 30%, creating around 27,000 new jobs. Even the battered Scottish construction industry is predicted to recover to 2007 employment levels by 2014. You don’t need a degree for any of that.

But you do need an apprenticeship. Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) offer people aged over 16 the chance of paid employment combined with the opportunity to train for jobs at different levels. They are an exciting way of gaining skills and nationally recognised qualifications that help kick-start a career without having to study full-time. MAs are available across a wide range of sectors and instill in trainees a range of ‘soft skills’ around communication, teamwork and problem solving, as well as improved numerical and IT skills. In short, your education is geared to prepare you for your job, which is why the Scottish Government is keen to offer 25,000 MA places.

Even though plumbers are now virtually royalty, Scots have yet to shake a Victorian class prejudice that manual work is dirty, underpaid and undesirable. But when you consider Germany’s massive vocational education programme (and the world-class quality engineering it produces) then douce bigotries of Milngavie matrons are seen through and we can encourage hands-on youngsters with deft fingers to help us build our 21st century future.

Supporting the Alliance at the CSPP Manifesto Launch in Edinburgh

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38: New Home; New Hope

Posted on March 28, 2011 by davidsberry

Having been on a number of doorsteps, the ones that I find most discouraging are not the solid Labour or Tory supporters—firstly they are generally polite, secondly they now have a haunted look in their eye and thirdly there aren’t too many of ’em any more. No, the ones that rattle my cage most are in the new affordable homes we’ve been building, especially in the West of the county.

Since 2007, ELC put top effort into addressing the scandal of homelessness and the pitiful under-provision of affordable homes for rent that was the worst among many ugly inheritances from umpteen years of Labour. Visit the new tenants in the East of the county and you find community spirit;, kids playing together; planters and boxes out; a clear enthusiasm for well built homes they had despaired of ever inhabiting. The real giveaway is that almost all have registered to vote, i.e. to engage with life in general.

At the other end of the county, in what was once Labour heartlands, it’s a different story. There is almost no external sign that these equally nice and new houses are even occupied and barely a quarter of the occupants have bothered to register to vote. Not only are they puzzled to find you on their doorstep but many seem to regard their new home as no more than their due and certainly have no idea that, were it not for the SNP, they would still be back in the various desperate circumstances they escaped from.

They seem not so much ungrateful as unaware that it was people registering and then going out to vote SNP in 2007 that made all their nice new homes possible. They ken noo.

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39: Solo Gig

Posted on March 27, 2011 by davidsberry

One of the blessings of social networking on the internet is the mix of people thrown into contact in a way daily face-to-face life would never do. If you are mostly interested in talking to voters in East Lothian, as I am just now, that might seem a disadvantage but—every now and them—it throws up a gem.

One such gem is Deborah Sprout, a singer/songwriter from New Jersey who is over here to visit friends and give a couple of concerts, the last of which was in Bruntsfield Church. It wasn’t well attended and she herself complained of some ailments and ‘running only at 40%’, so, you might say, what’s the big deal?

Regular readers might recall my banging on a month ago about Joni Mitchell’s interpretation of her own lyrics. Well, Deborah’s been there too. Not only does her voice have a range and clarity that recalls Joni but, because she’s not quite as willowy as Joni, it has a power that our American cousins might call ‘kick ass’.

Poor though I am at judging music at first hearing, I thought that her faster numbers needed more than just her guitar strumming to pace them. But when she got into her specialty of torch ballads, the interplay of minor and seventh chords on Stay With Me or New Year’s Eve counterpointed a pure voice from the heart. And the lyric Goodbye My Dear One soared in a clear upper register in a way Joni would surely have admired.

What does this have to do with politics? For me, everything. I have spent decades voicing my truth in front of people that, mainly, didn’t much care. To watch Deborah swallow any disappointment and still give her all to a handful of listeners was a lesson for me; that your own truth becomes real when you lay it out there—no matter if anyone is listening.

To catch up on what everyone else missed, try her on Facebook (she’s a voracious communicator) or her own website: http://www.deborahsprout.com/deborah-sprout.php

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40 Days to Decide

Posted on March 26, 2011 by davidsberry

Now that we’re officially into the campaign, I’m not sure whether I’m more impressed by the rather prickly response of many people if you try to shift into talking politics or by the wide open attitude they have, should you manage to make that shift.

Almost twenty years ago when I first began street work upon my return home to Scotland, most people were pretty clear about their politics. Their positions were dominated by pro- and anti-Thatcher stances and elections were head-to-head contests between Tory and Labour, with other parties scarcely taken seriously by the media.

But even then, the class basis of voting was eroding. Thatcher had persuaded many ‘working class’ to vote Tory. And in the following decade, Blair persuaded a huge swathe of the ‘middle class’ to vote Labour. But, in so doing, both lost much clarity among their grass roots and other parties like the SNP found increasing numbers choosing them. Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde has made a career out of analysing this effect.

Now, when neither once-dominant party can avoid an undignified struggle for support from the ‘middle ground’, the chickens of party disloyalty are darkening their skies in great flocks, coming home to roost all over the political spectrum. Given that many ex-Tory/Lab, then Lib-Dem voters are also now fizzing over the UK’s Con-Dem coalition, it’s little wonder that the ‘Don’t Know’ party is still streets ahead of any other at this stage.

It’s all to play for.

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41: Alea Jacta Est

Posted on March 25, 2011 by davidsberry

Having baled out of its stilted irrelevance at age 14—my earliest chance—my Latin is pretty ropey but I like the ambiguity of this phrase; normally translated as “the die is cast”—with its overtones of hot metal poured into solid moulds—than the more morally lightweight “the dice have been thrown”. But today, as I handed over ten crisp fifties, the most money I’ve held in my hand since I flogged my Lambretta in nineteen canteen, I was declared the official SNP candidate for the East Lothian constituency. That pleased me.

Anyone that knows me will know why that should feel good: I would be out campaigning for the place anyway; this just gives it structure and a goal. And anyone who’s known me for only five minutes will know that I have a mouth on me that naturally nips the heid of anyone in power, right up to Chief Executives and visiting royalty on behalf of Mrs McGlumpher of Auchenshoogle Avenue, rather than the other way round. For this, I make no apology, other than accepting that my style may still need a little work.

But six years on community council and twelve on the county have done nothing to blunt my enthusiasm for this stunning, richly diverse corner of Scotland that begat me, raised me and gifted me so much. Getting my oar into as influential waters as I can on her behalf is a more noble ambition than I have yet aspired to—and more electrifying than any throw of dice could ever be.

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