Sunday 1 May 2011

Janie Orr - The Election Blog 2011

Janie is a member of the Young Scots for Independence, a student at the Scottish Agricultural College and an active member of the SNP.

I was lucky enough to take part in the Young Scots for Independence/Federation of Student Nationalists national tour in a full to capacity bus filled with young people from across Scotland. In total we estimated we travelled more than 900 miles across Scotland leafleting, canvassing, meeting activists, sharing ideas and having fun with politics. Our first stop was Glasgow campaigning in the city.

I admit as a farmer’s daughter this sort of canvassing was not what I was used to. Generally what I did was get in the car and canvass farms and entire villages at a time. This was a bit different as it involved streets covered in people with yellow badges and what felt to me like mile high closes. To show you how little I knew of city life I had to quietly ask one of the guys was campaigning with what a service button was and how to get into a close. The look of ‘you have got to be joking’ was enough to say that I needed to get out more. It was great fun just converting lifetime Labour voters, by the end of time in Glasgow it had actually become a hobby. But my absolute favourite thing to do on the doorstep was to ask the question, “Who do you believe would make a better First Minister.” Now the reason is not because I wanted to hear Alex Salmond’s name being suggested as a better first minister from a Labour voter. It was to watch a Labour voter (and sometimes member) try to remember or even guess whom the leader of the party was. I heard a few suggestions; Gordon Brown, Wendy Alexander, Jack McConnell and even Margaret Curran from one poor labour voter. The real question of this election is who is the Labour leader?

Another question that was raised was where were the Liberal Democrats? It would have been nice to meet more than one on the entire time spent across Scotland. It seems they have disappeared without a trace, maybe never to be seen again perhaps. Whatever happens to them, it is obvious voters will show them no mercy. This election from what we saw on tour will be very cruel for them. Labour to is looking like a crash and burn. I almost feel sorry for how bad an election they have run. Copying policies from SNP, attacking positive policies for Scotland for political gain and even running into fast food chains to escape voters. If I had a £1 for every time someone said “My father voted for labour and his father before him etc.” I would be a rich girl. However it is remarkably easy to then persuade them to not only vote SNP but also understand that becoming independent would be the best for Scotland. One vote gained for the SNP for about 2 minutes work, breaking a generation of tradition. Try it. It really works. One of my favourite moments of the tour was after campaigning with John Mason in Glasgow, decided to head off to the pub. This is a well known drinking hole for the YSI and there were more than 15 of us walking in ordering drinks. Who should be sitting in the pub but a labour campaign manager whose face was visibly shocked to see the sheer amount of young activists. It was satisfying to see the fear on their face. Labour knows they have run a bad campaign. Heads will roll. But will it be the mystery leader to go first?

Politics aside, the friends you make with this common bond of being a Nat will I know be a friendship that will last a lifetime. I loved travelling across Scotland in the back of a bus with a group of folk who passionately believe as much as you that Scotland should be independent. I would like to thank every single candidate, stressed out election agent, activists and campaigners who met and greeted us from across Scotland. They made the trip as successful as it was and if what we saw on the doorstep is what we see in the final results, we know as young Nats that we will have made a difference to Scotland. That is pretty cool.

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