Well, what a week. Mr Murphy has been egged in Fife. Rumour has it that we, the public, weren’t playing ball by reacting to his rabble rousing tactics so one of his team had to do it for us. The fire set alight at a Glasgow Yes hub wasn’t quite such a humorous matter. There was the distinct possibility life, human or animal, could have been put at risk. On a lighter note, the actor in the better together campaign broadcast turning out to be a yes voter in real life was a real hoot. As she said, it pays the bills and a lesson to us all not to take campaign literature too seriously.
I don’t think better together have grasped what a referendum is all about. Johann and Margaret say they meet these poor, downtrodden women on the doorstep all the time. Women unable to read up on the facts, talk to others and form an opinion. Well, up here in the north east the women very strongly know their own minds. Only once on the doorstep in all the years campaigning have I heard a woman say “I’ll have to ask my man how I’m voting”. Perhaps J and M are hearing that message because that is precisely where they have trampled both men and women, well into their place in life, voting to keep the likes of Margaret and Johann in better lifestyle choices while making the decisions that keep these people where they need them. Have J and M not heard the awakening of minds in these places where they have neglected their electorate? Thanks to ordinary people speaking to other ordinary people about the possibilities that could lie ahead with the right elected people, the country’s long suffering faithful unionist party voters are seeing that if they all act as one and vote for change they might just succeed this time. When have you ever seen stalls permanently set up in a housing area signing people up for the electoral role? Remember, once these people have been awakened it will be very hard to push them back to where they have lain hidden. Whatever way the vote goes on the 18th, these people have found their voices and will be listened to.
Last Saturday we took a break from leafleting and canvassing and held a high visual event in the centre of Buckie. On a Saturday Buckie and surrounding villages quietly go about their rural business, attending coffee mornings, craft fairs or driving their children to whatever activities they do. Not last Saturday. Right at the centre of this photo is a lady representing the old guard who have made milky coffee at coffee morning for fundraisers since goodness knows when. We were really buoyed up by the amount of young families that engaged as well as people from older generations. This was the photo taken of those around after the local press took their photos. The centre of the town was a bit noisy with tooting horns and shouts of support. Haven’t seen this much enthusiasm in a very long time. People were really enjoying themselves. We have all the fun on this side of the campaign.
We had cause to travel to the central belt and back over the past few days. Yes posters are winning. No posters are mainly on land owners land. Get into areas of habitation and people seem more likely to show you their colours if they are voting yes. Have seen a bit of vandalism to the posters which is sad as we should respect each other’s right to our views. It’s not one sided either, both sides are at it. Mind you we did see a humorous bit of vandalism to a field poster between Dundee and Perth. Someone had painted over the “thanks” and painted “how” above the “no” then added a question mark. Now that’s intelligent vandalism (not that we condone any such thing here).
So. Nearly there. The momentum is with us. Let’s use that momentum to get ourselves out there every day speaking to people. No point conserving your energy. We have to exhaust ourselves in the effort to get as many of our people to actually vote yes on the 18th. None of this “oh, I was going to vote but got distracted and forgot”. This simply will not be acceptable. None of us will sleep on the 18th. We will be so wound up that whether at a count or watching on t.v. we will have churning stomachs. Even if you are not up to helping knock up the voters on polling day you can help by asking friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues if they have voted yet. The time is very near to determine our future. Thankfully I don’t have to think up another of these pieces before then and can spend my time out and about doing whatever job needs done.
When it is my turn to write my next piece in the middle of October I hope to be commentating on how the negotiations are going between the two governments. It’s up to you all out there to make sure that is what I do. I have voted YES by post. Happy campaigning persuading everyone you know to do likewise.
Use this site for information to answer peoples questions http://www.yesscotland.net/
Use this page to find out what is happening near you http://www.yeslocal.info/
If you do social media there are many facebook and twitter groups. Just type in yes and the name of a town near you into the search box.