IndyGal

One of the best moments for me came last night. I was in the Royston rooms having a little celebration with the branch when a local guy popped his head round the door. You can’t make judgements about people by looking at them alone but we all gather impressions. It’s obvious he has very little money and as he seems to be out and about walking his little dog all day every day (we’ve crossed paths a few times), it doesn’t look like he’s working. If I’m honest, it looked to me like he’d more or less given up. But last night he waved in to congratulate us. He told us it was the first time he’d voted for something he really believed in. And as he left he jumped up in the air proclaiming “my vote really counted this time”! We gave him a huge cheer and I was nearly in tears (again) because I realised that we’d given him hope.

I’ve always said that one of my primary reasons for being politically active is to show people that there is always hope, that we can always make a difference to our lives, our communities, our country, the world.

We have given people hope. And we won’t let them down.

I’ve been all over the constituency today - leafletted Springburn itself at 7am (for one minute only - more info in a mo); Robroyston in the afternoon; Carntyne in the evening and now, home in Dennistoun. It was a lovely sunny day and most people were extremely positive. They love our local income tax, can’t see why we shouldn’t be independent, like Alex Salmond. What is wrong? Does nobody read tabloids anymore?!

Two older guys said to me they’d hate to see Scotland “go independent”. When I asked why they were absolutely certain that we just couldn’t do it. “We haven’t got the brains hen” said one of them. “Well, some of us definitely haven’t” I thought to myself but managed not to say out loud. Although it maddens me, I know we can all be subsceptible to brainwashing and let’s face it, the unionists have been pretty consistent and intense in that area.

Everyone else I met seemed really pleased to meet me. People kept shaking my hand and telling me that they were voting for me. They all said that “everyone they knew” was also voting SNP. And they all said they were really looking forward to voting for us. They were actually excited at the prospect. It’s not often I’m humble but THAT humbled me - the thought that we’ve actually given some people hope and faith in Scottish politics. Let’s hope we get the chance to show them that their faith was not misplaced.

Anyway am leafletting at 7am so - it’s time … time for bed!

PS the reason I leafletted for one minute only this morning - came down first tenement, closed my eyes for a wee rest on the way down (yes, whilst walking) and tripped and twisted my ankle! Luckily recovered later on and did at least 4 hours walking today.

Hmmm, well I’m hoping I can use my blog to offload my frustrations from this morning. Here’s a summary of what happened when I went to meet Ian and Kelly to deliver leaflets.

Preamble - am feeling positive despite downpour, despite 5 hours sleep, despite having nothing to wear and having no make up on and despite computer problems which I’ll detail below. Still smiling, still looking on that bright side of life doo roo, doo roo, doo roo, doo roo

Then my morning went like this:

1) Oil light has been flashing like mad

2) STOP sign on dashboard stops flashing and just GLARES at me in a permanent fashion

3) Run out of petrol anyway so no choice of whether to risk life and limb of Glasgow population (no, I wouldn’t have)

4) Am across road from petrol station on Ally Parade anyway

5) Realise don’t have purse

6) Realise happily that I don’t keep things like bank cards in purse anyway (who says being scatty doesn’t pay off?)

7) Find bank card but remember not been paid in a while and no money in account

Also find cheque book - hoorah

9) Also remember BP doesn’t take cheques anymore!!!!!!!!

10) Come home search for purse can’t find

11) Grovel apologies to Ian and Kelly who now have to walk to their appointment in the pouring rain and are going to be late.

12) Live with the guilt - am used to it but still feeling bad

13) It’s 9am!!

Prior to all of this I had been trying to send my election address leaflet to the printers. I would have liked to have sent it a week ago but have had a whole pallaver with Royal Mail which lasted several days. Anyway it’s all approved and I email to printers but OUTLOOK Express tells me it can’t send it. Computer crashes. Computer revived. Computer crashes again. Phone printers almost in tears. They thank me for the THREE emails I’ve successfully sent them (what?!)but tell me there’s a bit of text I have to move up. Start whole process again. Send. “Nope” says outlook express, “no disc space” AAAARRGH!!!!!!!!!!

(Incidentally can I just say that you have NO idea how much this is helping me being able to share my trauma with you two I am typing so furiously you can probably hear me right now. Not sure if self indulgent or cathartic is the correct description but whatever it is, it’s helping.)

Anyway, so I have to delete space and suddenly I just don’t care anymore and delete anything that doesn’t look like it’ll help the SNP win the election. Got loads of space now but not much in the way of any sign of life outwith the SNP - blinkers plastered to my eyes

It’s all sorted but I’m miles behind and have loads to do. I know says I, I’ll write my blog, it’ll take ten mins and I’ll feel so much more relaxed afterwards. So …

Decide to have a cup of coffee.

Remember no milk - don’t cry, don’t cry.

Discover WRONG about milk, find a dribble - big smiles.

Coffee in cup, boiling water in cup, sweetener … ah right, run out of that - don’t cry!

Will I have tea? Don’t want tea. Want coffee.

Decide not to be so petulant.

Tea bag in cup, boiling water in cup, now for milk.

“IS there milk at the bottom of that carton?”

“Or am I just imagining it?” I ask myself as I, for some reason, hold it upside down and peer into it.

Yep there’s milk alright. Now … deep breath Anne and try to figure out how to get it off of my face and out from down my cleavage and into the cup! Don’t cry, don’t cry.

So, back to looking on the bright side of life doo roo:

1) green tea doesn’t require milk and it’s good for you,

2) I’ve got loads of disk space on my computer,

3) my election agent’s taking care of the election address from here,

4) milk is said to be very good for your skin so I’m probably looking younger already,

5) why some people even bathe in milk. Mine was just more of a virtual bath which in itself makes me young happening and cool, doesn’t it??

Update

Quick update on what’s been happening in the Springburn campaign. Sunday morning myself and Jennifer delivered letters to tenements in Dennistoun. Then some more of us did the same in the Garngad /Royston area (see pic). That was interesting because there were loads of people around. It was a warm morning and some folk were out on their balconies, while others stood in small groups chatting outside the row of shops on Royston Road.

Gallus

You have to be quite gallus in this life so I just introduced myself to anyone who made the mistake of not walking fast enough Got a really good response. I was asking them how they were feeling about the election. Anecdotal evidence can never be relied on but I’m now hearing more of the positive reasons for voting SNP than the negative reasons for not voting Labour. Good news.

Scrap council tax

Not that everyone felt the same but there’s a much warmer attitude toward the SNP than there’s ever been. We carried on miles up Royston Road and I met a woman who was overjoyed to hear that we will scrap the council tax. She and her husband are nearing retirement, on low wages and yet paying £40 a month each! That’s not fair.

The thing that struck me about this woman was not so much her joy at the news I brought with me - more her surprise. How could she not know that the SNP will scrap council tax? Could it be that not everyone is as excited by this election as I???

Onwards

So, to last night. I think we had ten activists out which was amazing. They included two new recruits - my cousins A and L - I’ve not to “advertise them on a website” so I’ll keep their names under wraps Anyway they were great and we got tonnes done. We were in Riddrie and we walked for miles delivering these letters. We finished at 9 and I dropped L off whilst A drove to Prestwick to pick up her sister. I  headed home, phoned a few people to sort out some stuff for tomorrow, watched Scotland on Film (if you’ve not seen it, look out for it - fascinating) and just as I was settling down to watch Alex Salmond on Newsnight Scotland, the buzzer went and it was the Tartan Hero himself with letters for me to deliver this morning before the buzzers go off. Right better get on with it! Tally ho!

Sunshine, Saturday, Springburn and as you can see SMILES.

We had a great day today campaigning in Springburn. Some of us were at the shopping centre talking to people, some putting up posters, some delivering leaflets from 7am (it’s a tenement thing), some doing PA work. There were loads of us and the best thing about it for me was the number of families coming up and asking for flags and balloons. The kids were lovely as always and once I’ve got his mum’s permission, I might put a pic of Dylan up to prove it!

Let me entertain you

While we chatted to folk and got them to sign our petition against the council tax, Phil Greene the SNP council candidate for Springburn, entertained the local residents and shoppers. He was talking serious stuff but he has a great way with words. At one point I heard him say “if anyone can give me a good reason for the war in Iraq I’ll give you a tenner right now”! That got a lot of laughs but not a single one of the many folk sitting in the sunshine attempted to get the money.

Camera shy

I think you can see here that I’m not one for having my photo taken.  Unfortunately in politics you have to. I know of someone who shall remain nameless who got fed up waiting for a council candidate to supply a photo for his leaflets. So he scanned in a photo of a model in a C&A catalogue and put that on the leaflets instead. Brilliant. But wrong, just in case the photo police are reading this - very very wrong

Had one more piece of excitement today but until I have got the photos to prove it I’m not telling. So come on Craig, Bunty’s waiting!

Sangatte Refugees make a run for it

Just watched Damian Green MP, Shadow Minister in the UK for Immigration. He was on Newsnight. He ably demonstrated how the idea of compassionate Conservatives is a huge con! The report that French authorities were to centralise where they provided support for refugees was met with fears that it would create another Sangatte. There is a bigger argument that I’d like to progress about global redistribution of wealth. But that’s for another day.

 Shower

Tonight I just want to tell you that Damian Green’s main problem was that “they’re going to give refugees access to a shower and food”! Shock horror. Should they simply starve to death? Apparently that would send a signal across the planet that France was a cushy number and half the world would end up there and of course, that means they’ll end up in dear old Angleterre.

Strength

He made something of the fact that many of these fellow human beings were so keen to get here they’d cling to the undercarriage of trains and lorries by God!! Keen? Absolutely bloody desperate I’d say! I mean I don’t know about you but if I was THAT desperate I think I might just give up - it certainly says something for a man or woman’s strength of spirit if they’re willing to endure that.

But then Mr Top Tastic Tory, when asked to square his views with the new CCC (Conservatively Compassionate Cameron), said these people weren’t running from conflict. No, they were ALL victims of people trafficking. What?!? Either he meant they’d all been kidnapped in which case the kidnappers are spectacularly stupid if they can’t find a more dependable mode of carriage for them.

Milk and Honey

Or more likely he meant that they’d all been lured by people traffickers who promised a land of milk and honey. I think they might have cottoned on by now - after all some of them have been living like this for 2 years. Or, more to the point, if they have been taken to France by traffickers, is that not in itself an indication of how absolutely desperate they must be?

Many asylum seekers live in my constituency Springburn and when you hear their stories of what life was like at home, their journey here, the attitudes they encountered and their circumstances and prospects today, it’s heartbreaking.

No change

The Conservative Party politicians have not changed. I don’t need to say this for election purposes - I can’t see them getting anywhere in Scotland. I am simply saying it because it needs to be said, lest we forget.