Time for a Change?

Vote Scotland

To support its endeavours to revitalise democracy, the Scottish Executive has launched “Vote Scotland”, a publicity campaign to explain the new electoral system and to encourage a wider range of candidates to come forward. Proportional representation gives candidates who wish to stand as local community activists a very real chance of getting elected. There is a long tradition of independent councillors in Scotland – only recently have political parties dominated local authorities and local politics.

The difficulty with party politicians is that they have divided loyalties: do they stick to the party line, even where it is contrary to the wishes of their electorate? Or do they break ranks and put loyalty to their constituents ahead of their parties (and their own political careers)? This inherent conflict is part of the reason why voters feel that they are unrepresented and that their views don’t matter.

When party candidates are parachuted into areas, they have steep learning curves on local issues. Election time can become a farce of cribbing the contents of other candidates’ leaflets.

The STV system creates the opportunity for breaking out of the party mould. But it requires local people to stand up as candidates and be counted. Local people undoubtedly know best about their local circumstances.

Key Local Issues

Key issues such as the funding of the new Breadalbane Academy deserve robust, independent scrutiny. For example:

* who, on a local level, is going to examine the detailed terms of the PPP contract?
* will Council officers be entrusted with this complex task with no in-put from local representatives?
* who will ensure that the exact legal wording of the contract will protect the interests of the school and the pupils?
Other PPP school-building schemes in Scotland have been disastrous: heating is managed (or not) off-site by the contractor; no fixtures or fittings of any sort (lockers, notice-boards, pictures) can be hung without the consent of the contractor; the contractor insists on undertaking the most minor of building-related tasks and charges high rates to do so.

Real Representation

As well as important local decision-making, there is a wider democratic issue. How can views be properly represented in local government when those who are elected are predominantly drawn from one sector of society? The average Scottish councillors is white, male, aged 53, lives in his own house, owns a car, has a degree or professional qualification, and works in a professional or managerial job.

The Scottish Executive has been urged to broaden the political landscape by helping more candidates to come forward, but the guidelines for local authorities have not yet been published. It is hoped that an election leaflet will be delivered free by the Royal Mail (this already happens for the Scottish Parliamentary elections) which would avoid door-to-door delivery over the new, much larger multi-member wards. A ban on election posters up lamp-posts would create a level playing field for elderly or disabled candidates. Creches on polling day would help those with children to stand.

In the interests of democracy, it is time that local people who are involved in the heart of their communities took the next step. There is no cost - apart from publicity - because your track record will speak for itself.

Consider putting yourself forward as an independent candidate. Just by standing, you will help to set the political agenda for the next four years as other candidates “borrow” your ideas and suggestions. Just by standing, you will give voters a better choice.

Remember:

To help to offset the advantages enjoyed by the selected candidates of established political parties in mobilising ‘on the knocker’ support, Comment preferentially extends the facility of its pages, and its online edition, for declared Independents to present their credentials and manifesto to its 4,000+ monthly readership.

The earlier you declare, the longer exposure you will gain in this way to present your platform for support next May.

The new STV system is not a cakewalk; all candidates will need to campaign hard for they will need to secure enough 1st votes not to drop off the list at the first hurdle - ie the candidate with the least 1st votes get dumped at the first count, before votes are then transferred etc.