That was the oddest, but most fulfilling by-election campaign I have ever been a part of. So I just want to record this whilst it’s still fresh in my memory. There will be no deep political insights or anything in this piece. Although I do want to comment on some aspects of campaigning and talk about what the figures of the result mean I think that’s better left for another day, once my feet have stopped throbbing.
The first thing I want to emphasise here is that this by-election, for us, was about getting Rob Munn elected to Leith Walk Ward. I’m incredibly proud to have played my wee part in the team over the last few weeks. A few years ago, when I first joined the SNP in Stirling I was a semi-regular buyer of the Edinburgh Evening News as it was the best source of Hearts news on a daily basis. At that time I knew I wanted to live in Edinburgh but the thought of living in Leith was laughable as I just dreamt of having a flat on Gorgie Road. So as a new member of the SNP, through the Evening News I knew that Rob Munn was the only SNP councillor in the City Chambers. It was years later before I heard the full story about how he got elected in the 1996 Leith Harbour by-election. I can’t say I knew much about what he did, but I knew that his representation on the council was important. At the time we only had 2 councillors in Stirling. These small numbers of elected politicians were the building blocks of where we as a party are today. Then in my very early 20s I moved to Edinburgh and quickly became active in the party, attending City Association work nights on a regular basis. At this time we had no councillors on the City Council, hard to believe now I know. Anyway to cut a long story short, since I moved down to Leith Rob has become a friend and quite simply I’m very happy to have helped him back to the City Chambers representing my home ward.
Enough of the context setting. Things are about to get weird and very Leith. It should have been a slow start to the morning. I was due to attend the Postal Vote Count at the council HQ at 09:00. The Leithness started as soon as I got to the bus stop at the Foot of the Walk proudly wearing my Rosette. It’ll will be worth remembering that the Rosette did not come off my jacket until well after the polls had closed. As I’m trying to decide what bus to take a guy approaches on a bike. “Awright pal. Ye want a free mountain bike?” he offers. I don’t want be too judgemental here but lets be blunt. It was almost certainly stolen. “Naw, cheers though.” I’ve always been pretty polite when refusing the offer of stolen goods, not that it happens very often. “Ye hink a driver wid lit me git it in the back o a taxi?” he asked. Chuckling, shaking my head “Ah dinnae ken.” And that was that. Off he went. And off I went to the Postal Vote Count.
Its not that I doubt the importance of observing the Postal Vote as a Counting Agent. It is an important part of the democratic process. But at that time I was the only Counting Agent there. The Depute Returning Officer was excellent. He talked me through all of the processes as they were happening. I was particularly grateful that he didn’t dumb anything down for me as we’d established on the way to the counting room that this wasn’t my first election count. I stayed about an hour, leaving after a quick call to Rob to check where I’d be most useful. Bit of a silly question really. I was far more use getting our vote out, not forgetting to vote myself.
So off to Norton Park Polling Station I trotted. Voting always feels quite satisfying but also a bit of an anticlimax too. I’ve always felt that, but I suspect that’s been because I was campaigning in elections before I was old enough to vote. But I do have my own wee tics or lucky routine when I actually vote and not many folk know this. Once I’ve marked my X (or number in this particular case) on the ballot paper I fold the paper, as you’re supposed to, kiss my finger tips, touch the paper then walk to to ballot box, drop it in and then double tap the slot on the box. To non political hacks I know all that seems a bit weird. But I’ll bet you that many of the hacks reading this will have their own wee voting rituals too. I’ve even got my own lucky Clip Board for canvassing and getting the vote out. It doesn’t look special in the slightest. But its done a few elections in Leith now and hasn’t lost an election yet. Voting done I was enjoying the stroll in the sunshine down Easter Rd to our Hub when I caught sight of a thankfully rarely spotted beast. I’ll not mention his name as I’ll not tarnish my blog with the name of a racist or a racist party. I will say though that the sighting was a classic image of the far right that can be seen time and time again since the days of the father of a former F1 boss. (if i’m being too vague there then google it or ask me in a PM, but I suspect most folk reading this will know fine well). On the face of it he looks quite normal and respectable, pretty much like most politicians seeking election. However he was flanked by 2 males who had a distinctive look about them that suggested they were men of few words. Or thugs, to use another term. I know better than to engage with racists. I’d normally just report racist behaviour to the police but you can’t report a racist to the police just for walking along a street… unfortunately. As much as I would rather he had not stood in this election I did take a lot of satisfaction in binning racist leaflets that I found on the pavements throughout the previous few days.
Racists safely sidestepped I made it to the hub to bump into an activist, ach she’s more than just an activist, I’m thinking of one of the real stalwarts of our party. I first met Elaine in about 96 or 97 and she still campaigns for the party like she did back then. A lot of us do. This was a recurring theme throughout the day and the campaign. Activists who have been activists since their days in the Youth or Student wings of the party and don’t ever really stop. Folk I’ve not seen for years turning up from all over the country to help Rob and Leith Walk branch win a cooncil by-election. Elaine came down from Perthshire. We had activists from Oban, Coatbridge, Glasgow, across Edinburgh & the Lothians and more. Not a huge surprise as that’s what we do in the SNP. But I can’t understate how appreciated all the help was.
The hub was running operations pretty well when I arrived. Given the buzz about Polling Day hubs it can be all to easy to stay too long when you really should be out working. I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdote about the how the Tory candidate superimposed his picture onto a photo of St Kilda when standing in the Western Isles on a previous election. I do wonder how many votes Dan got beside the canal in Leith? It’ll be no surprise to hear that Alasdair Allan passed through the hub at one stage, another ex-youth wing activist.
So once I’d helped a bit in the hub off I trotted to do what Polling Days are all about. Getting the Vote Out. There’s not a lot of folk in their flats during the day on a Thursday. So it is a bit of slog trying to find electors. It really does have to be done though. In one stair a couple of kids were staring at me as they passed with their Dad, I presume at the rosette but maybe at the fine Harris Tweed bunnet that frequently turns heads. It pays well during election campaigns to be keep a smile on your face at all times, be nice to dogs & children, help folk with bags, bikes, prams etc etc. No badges on me, quickly improvising I say to their Dad “would the wee ones like a pen each?” At this he beamed a smile at me and asked if I was SNP? He told me that he was an immigrant and that he was proud to call Scotland his home and he was proud to have voted YES at IndyRef. He took a membership sign-up card from me and I shook his hand thanking him. I’m looking forward to welcoming him at the next branch meeting.
Every so often whilst out I bumped into so many activists doing the same work as me or being Polling Agents that I simply don’t have space to record every single occasion. But it did make me smile to find out that googlemaps is no match for a wee bit local knowledge.
It was on the way back to the hub, lucky clipboard and rosette on full display, when I was offered stolen goods for the second time. “Awright mate, ye want tae buy sum Premium?”. I can’t say I know my aftershaves or perfumes but it was in a shiny wee box so I presume thats what it was. Offer refused it slipped quickly back into his poly bag briefly before the deal was offered again. To be offered stolen goods now and again is not hugely unusual. It does happen from time to time, that most would not deny. But for it to happen twice in one day is certainly a bit strange.
I’m thinking that makes it an unusual Polling Day already and it had just passed 13:00 as I wander round onto Duke Street. I pass a man who has just left a pub well know to Leithers. It wouldn’t be unfair to say he looked a wee bit unsteady on his feet. Just as I was about to ask him if he was ok he fell. Hands by his side he fell straight back like a bit of wood, knocking himself out on the road. Immediately I jumped onto the road in front of on coming traffic to wave cars around him. I will admit to using some choice words at drivers who had the cheek to scowl at me whilst I was preventing them from running over a human being’s head. A couple of passers by helped get him on his side whilst I phoned an ambulance. On the advice of the Operator, leaving the man with a nurse who had helped and others, I ran across to Tesco to get the defibrillator. Once back on scene accompanied by a shop 1st Aider, I found a GP from Leith Walk Surgery tending to the man. I’d done my bit so left them to wait for the Ambulance. I really don’t want to sound like I’m blowing my own trumpet here. I did my wee bit and others jumped in to help too. That’s just basic humanity. But Leith is a community and it’s reassuring to see folk jumping in to help like that. It’s not the first time I’ve called an Ambulance for a man falling and hitting his head on Duke Street. But at least this time the man didn’t throw up at my feet like last time. The last time wasn’t a Polling Day.
Once back at the Hub I took a few minutes to chill before my next run. The next bit of work was alongside Sarah, who I’ve been friends with since the last Scottish Parliament election and Calum who I’ve campaigned with since the early 2000s. I do a fair amount of campaigning by myself but you can’t beat working alongside your pals. It was on that wee run that a couple of wee dogs approached me. One was nice and friendly. The other was a nippy, yappy wee thing. An elderly gent quipped “That yin’s a Labour Dug!”. Now I remembered this man from a previous campaign session so I knew fine well he’s a Labour supporter. So I replied “My cat’s mair socialist! My cat’s called Che. So he’s mair socialist that Jeremy Corbyn! He’s mair socialist than Gordon Munro!” which was received with warm laughter. On my previous encounter there had been a comment about my letter delivery being a job. I’d laughed and explained that I didn’t get paid for this, which seemed to garner some respect. Wee things like that help build up trust in the party which is why its important to keep a smile on your face all day especially to those who aren’t necessarily voting for you.
Following that session I was handed a choice of 2 runs to do. They both had to be done. I stared at them for a few minutes, not wanting to take both but worried that it might not get done if I didn’t. I was reassured that both would get done, but I was still worried. Then, just at the right moment another activist appears and asks for a run! Yasss!! I took the one with less stairs, for a change. I wasn’t going to mention this particular run. But it was the one where I felt the pressure ease off a bit. It was then late afternoon and I was in an area that I wasn’t expecting huge support. But folk were home from work and answering doors in much greater numbers than in the morning. The vote was there after all. People had voted or were going to vote. I started to feel it was going to be ok.
I didn’t intend to go into quite this much detail, but this next bit illustrates just how hard we work to win elections. The final even push to get the vote out is always important. Primarily because so many are home from work. So as not to waste any time my tea consisted of a Haggis Pudding Supper washed down with Irn Bru. I’d eaten 2 thirds of it by the time I’d reached the Hub again so I didn’t have to hang about too long.
There were a few runs still to do. I took a couple and battered in. Once back I found that one of the remaining runs had been taken by Angus Robertson, another former youth wing activist. I was told to stop knocking doors at 20:30 because you do more damage pissing folk off knocking doors after that time. So its just turned 20:30 and I get buzzed into a stair. It’s the second last name on the list. He doesn’t look happy. He’d not voted and wasn’t going to. I couldn’t let my day finish on a downer. I ran to the final stair, the door was open and at 20:32 I knocked the final door. A guy a bit younger than myself opened the door in his pyjamas scowling. I asked to speak to his partner, who came to the door also in her pyjamas, also understandably scowling. “I’m so sorry to bother you at this time. But its Election Day today.” I blurted out. The scowls lessened a wee bit, I told myself as she said she’d forgotten. “I know this sounds like a cliché. But I’ve been out all day and it looks like a low turnout. So really, every single vote is going to count. Your Polling Station is just 2 minutes up the road.” They sighed. They told me they would vote. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really believe them, but it was what I wanted to hear so I left happy. Just over an hour later I was walking up to the Club Rooms and I was passing a certain Polling Station. I thought I’ll wander across to see if there’s a Polling Agent there who could tell me the turnout over the last couple of hours. No Polling Agent. Even better though, just at that second out walks the couple I’d spoken to at 20:32. They beamed a smile and told me they voted SNP. The Polls closed 15 minutes later.
Before I finish I want to mention that I also saw a man wearing a Deerstalker hat. Worth noting as I can’t remember the last time I saw one being worn in real life. He did look pretty dapper. A more unusual attire was the 2 men I saw in WW2 American Army uniforms driving a WW2 Army Jeep. The Air raid siren horn funnily did cause me to look up rather than along the road. All in all not sights that you see every day, even in Leith.
I want to finish off here. You will all appreciate that given the wonderful result a good time was thoroughly enjoyed with some of my closest friends. So that bits just for us.
Cllr Rob Munn. That reads just right that does.
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