Too tired to tango

But not quite too tired to blog. The reason I'm tired is because I'm working full time as the campaign co-ordinator for the Glasgow East by election - for the SNP obviously. There's not much time for sleep and absolutely NO time for daydreaming which is always more troubling for me. Not this time however. I am loving every single minute of the campaign. I emailed members today and asked them to eat, sleep and breathe the Glasgow East by election and that's what myself and everyone else in the campaign team and in the local branches has been doing since Monday. It's been fantastic so far and today was an incredible day. We'd hundreds of members out campaigning across the constituency (including Alex Salmond, above) despite the torrential rain. They were drookit but they didn't care. They'd come back for more work and after a quick cup of tea they were right back out again. Anyway it was a great day and we're all going to sleep well tonight before getting up early tomorrow to start again - we've little more than two weeks to get our sensational victory so there will be no rest for the foreseeable future ...

Shock withdrawal of Labour by election candidate George Ryan

I was absolutely astounded to hear the news that the Labour Party held their selection meeting tonight and still managed to have no candidate! Unbelievable. Could it get any worse for them? Apparently Cllr George Ryan just didn't show up! There are rumours that he didn't really want to go to Westminster. Can't say I blame him. I look forward to the day when no Scottish based politician has to go to Westminster for anything other than an international visit. However, if you're the only candidate on a shortlist of one, there has to be something far wrong to just not show up! It's yet another indication that the Labour Party in Scotland is falling apart.

Tomorrow, Alex Salmond will be touring the East End of Glasgow with our fantastic candidate (or 'hard line' as the Daily Record described him) Cllr John Mason. The Labour Party have cancelled their campaign day tomorrow! I'm liking the way this election is going so far ...

Chippy Scots

What is this obsession with us Scots? I watched Question Time tonight and there's all this debate about whether or not the Scots and English like each other. And now I'm watching This Week and the chat is all about the same thing. But we're okay because Michael Portillo said he's a bit Scottish himself and he apparently has "great admiration for the Scots". Why? He didn't say and that's because he doesn't mean a word of it, it's just one of those patronising things you say when you're feeling superior. "Many of my best friends are black you know" - that kind of thing.

He's just added his considered opinion - oh no, wait a minute, that wasn't an opinion, it was stated as fact - that: "they" (us, the Scots) "have a terrific chippiness".

"I don't think they're THAT chippy are they?" chips in Diane Abbot.

"Oh yes, they're certainly chippy but it's the smaller nation thing isn't it?" declares Mr Know-it-all before going on to prove his point by telling us that the "Catalans are awfully chippy vis a vis the Castillians".

Feeling kinda chippy myself now but would like to point out that recognising the injustice of a situation where a much larger neighbouring country has more say in your nation's affairs than you do, is not chippy, it's just smart. And it doesn't make us chippy, it simply makes us determined to restore justice. Which is precisely what Scottish Independence is all about.

Patronising comments from people who reckon they can sum up the character of an entire nation are extremely irritating. Still not sure I'd say I am now feeling chippy. Pissed off is more to the point! At least Sandi Thom made sense when she pointed out it was just as likely there were chippy Welsh and English folk as chippy Scots!

How's it going in Glasgow East?

Just in case you were wondering - we're getting loads of SNP members from across the East End of Glasgow, and indeed, the country coming out to campaign. So much so that we nearly ran out of campaign packs today and we have LOADS! Here's just a few of this afternoon's turnout. You too could be joining this merry band. If you don't have the details of when and where we're meeting, email me and I'll put you on the update list - unless of course you're a plant from another party in which case I'll sniff you out! By-elections! They bring out the "mischievious" side of some parties!

So they all rolled over and one fell out ...

First Wendy, now Nicol Stephen has resigned as Leader of the Lib Dems in Scotland. I'm wondering if it's just that they can't stand not being in power. The Labour Party has been in control in Scotland for forever really and the Lib Dems? Well, they got a taste of power when they were in coalition with Labour in the Scottish Parliament until 2007. None of them seem to have adjusted to opposition terribly well. Hopefully (and I do mean this) their successors will do a better job than they do - after all, the people of Scotland deserve a thriving parliament where good strong debate is alive and well and the opposition do as good a job of scrutinising bills etc as the government does of running the country.

Happy talking talking happy talk

Campaign folks in fine fettle.

Speed limits for Landrovers

I was driving up to Glasgow today and as I approached the airport, I slowed down to 40mph. Now why would you think I would do that? Could it be because that's the new speed limit there? Correct. I know this because there are loads of signs everywhere and I'm so clever I can actually read them! It makes sense to slow down anyway because the lanes are much narrower and more winding than they used to be. Anyway the guy behind me apparently couldn't figure out why I was going at 40mph and obviously couldn't read. He came up so close I thought he was attached to me. That irritated me but when he started flashing me I was sorely tempted to do something that would have been very wrong. Therefore I didn't :-) Instead I just made doubly sure I was not going the slightest bit over 40mph which, judging by the quick glance I had at his face, made him almost apoplectic with rage. Angry man in big, bad gas guzzling landrover - not a pretty sight.


But wait till you hear this. We reach the 60mph zone and I do what any normal person would do (if the conditions are right - and they were) and speed up to 60. Now that DID make him apoplectic judging by the contortions on his face. Like I said, not pretty Mr Landrover Driver and completely unjustified seeing as I was going at 40 in the 40mph zone and 60 in the 60mph zone. He then sped up to whatever speed which was breaking the law but I guess that'll be my fault an' all. Anyway just a little trivia in the midst of all this by election fever. Speaking of which - must go!