ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

Activists from Skye and Lochalsh.

ON THE MARCH

No matter where you were in Scotland at the weekend Alba activists were out putting a very public face on the Party that has been singled out to be kept off our television screens, hidden by the mainstream media. A “secret” Party that the Unionists fear but who they rely on the SNP to defend them from the worst impact. Hence we have the remarkable alliance between the forces of Unionism and the SNP leadership to keep Alba in a box. Surely Indy supporters must be questioning how that has happened. I never thought I would ever see it in my lifetime. We live in the strangest of times but Alba have been identified as a major threat to the Union, justifying extreme defence and undemocratic measures to be engaged.

NEVER permitted to debate with the other parties, blanked on the TV campaign news reports with the only mentions being when Nicola Sturgeon fires her latest smear at the Alba Party and its Leader. The Daily Record runs a double page spread on Alex Salmond concentrating on Alba’s policy platform? Well no, concentrating on further smearing the man who was found innocent of all the false allegations made against him. Meanwhile the Electoral Commission were busy doing their part, failing to approve the Party logo and message, despite being given the details in February. This has resulted in only the ALBA name on the ballot paper being minus this information. Strangely enough it might help because it helps highlight our difference on the ballot paper, never the intention, but a bit of justice all the same.

Now you don’t get this type of information suppression unless your message is so potentially serious that it merits these exceptional measures. It going to be fun the minute the polls close. The election programmes on the Saturday are going to have to do somersaults to generate viewer interest, and the guaranteed lead story is going to be ARE ALBA GOING TO BE REPRESENTED IN HOLYROOD? Having spent weeks suppressing the Party they are now going to rely on it to provide some spark of interest in their programmes. The hypocrisy meters are going to be off the scales!

It has been a very different election to those of the past, there has been no extensive canvassing, there is little or no reliable voter intention information available. The polls have not been numerous and tell varying stories. Perhaps it is the cynic in me who wonders whether the role of at least some of these polls is to impact the morale of the various parties, to present for instance the election as a foregone conclusion hoping to create complacency or as was certainly the case with Alba selecting polling sampling dates immediately after the Party’s creation, before many had heard about it, in the sure knowledge that the lowball result would allow a flurry of negative stories designed to hinder the Party from the off. Even these latest polls reinforce that view as I am sure they are at the low end of expectation and include extensive caveats about how difficult it is to accurately poll smaller parties with no historic voting performance available. These seem to me to be useful get out clauses if the actual result is significantly different to their polling result. I hope they need to make use of these excuses this coming weekend.

So what can you do in these last few days? If there are leaflets left to deliver please help get them out. We get no aid from any other source so when the results come in it will be entirely down to us and we will be justified in claiming the entire credit. Even if you are stuck at home there is lots you can do, social media is our friend and we can all promote Alba using it. Write a few words on Twitter or Facebook explaining why you are voting Alba and share it with your friends. Go to the Alba Party website Albaparty.org and there are a range of videos and messages there that you can tweet and share. Let’s all make a big effort in these last few days to make sure the Alba message and presence is on point and impossible to ignore. It takes seconds and it does make a difference. Especially if we all do it!

We shall overcome their bans. We will surmount the undemocratic barriers placed on our path. We will be positive. We shall never surrender. We will fight to the last man and woman and with vigour and pride in our honest campaign. No stone must be left unturned.

We deserve a good result. We must ensure we use the time between now and the polls closing to deliver it.

I am, as always

YOURS FOR SCOTLAND.