WE SHALL OVERCOME!

WHAT DO THEY DO IF?

It must be a worrying time for the powers that be in the BBC and STV. They have stuck resolutely to their policy of keeping the Alba Party from our screens. They make no attempt to discuss or justify these scandalously undemocratic actions largely because they know there can be no defence to justify their actions.

We remember the presence of UKIP in the past. No problem with them when they were never at 6% in the polls after years of operation, never held a seat at Holyrood or Westminster, never had a former First Minister as Leader. Never threatened the Union. Ah that explains it, that is the big difference. While UKIP never threatened the Union, ALBA represents the biggest danger to the Union ever. At least that is the view of David Mundell and the law of averages state he must get one right at sometime. My money is on this being his big moment.

They must be praying Alba don’t make any progress. The authorities are doing their bit. On polling day the Alba Party will be the only Party on the ballot paper that doesn’t have its logo and description next to their name, despite the information being provided to the Electoral Commission in February, unlike other parties whose changes were agreed despite not being submitted to March. Strange eh, according to Kenny McAskill, the EC only started to take the matter seriously when they discovered the Party was led by Alex Salmond, by which time it really was too late. Why this London based department has any say in Scottish elections is beyond me.

Another strange thing is the absence of polls. I can’t remember a Scottish General Election with such scant polling. There was a flurry at the start when the polling companies were confident any result would justify keeping Alba off our screens but last week was a poll free zone. The reason perhaps was Friday saw the postal votes being issued, keeping Alba out the headlines and in the dark into this week had its attractions to the Unionist media.

It can’t last, yesterday the Alba main free leaflet started getting delivered by the Post Office in Aberdeen and the rest of the country will follow in the next few days. Once it is out polling will become a more hazardous business as every household will have heard about our case for maximising the pro Indy list vote to replace Unionist MSP’s with Alba MSP’s creating that Supermajority. So expect polls at the end of the week with the sampling being conducted before the leaflets were delivered. Yes I think they really are that cynical.

If the polling shows an Alba advance then life could become extremely uncomfortable for the TV companies and as Wings Panelbase poll showed yesterday a majority of Scots already believe the television companies are treating Alba unfairly, the whole banning exercise could become a significant election issue. Knowing that this would benefit Alba I would confidently predict a softening on the ban with it being stepped up to minimum coverage I.e. the least they can get away with. It may start soon as Alex Salmond publishes the Alba manifesto today. Are they really going to blank the launch of a manifesto from a Party current polls indicate will return MSP’s to Holyrood?

Of course members having had to wait for the other local leaflets to arrive are now getting going across the country. I think it’s still a bit patchy but I am hearing more and more positive stories about activity in many areas. Wednesday evening sees our sole Party Political Broadcast (6.25 STV, 6.55 BBC) so that should help as well.

I know many people were, and in some cases, still are frustrated about the delays but we need to be realistic. Unlike other parties who have had years to prepare we have had to start from scratch only a few weeks ago. We had to raise the money (£70000) to cover the cost of the main leaflet. All the posters, car stickers, local leaflets had also be funded so when you take all that into account it is quite remarkable we are where we are. This is a Party which is entirely volunteer based from the top down to the newest recruit. Let me tell you this, that fact will make it all the more remarkable and satisfying when we return MSP’s to Holyrood in this election. We will have achieved what I am sure the “experts” considered impossible. It’s not impossible, far from it and we will be successful.

So what do I expect to happen? I don’t expect to see any big increase in any polls until the next full week has elapsed and the sampling days are after the 26th April. That will give our leaflet time to make an impact and generate that wider knowledge about what Alba is about. We need to remember we have no allies in the media, it is not in their interests to promote Alba so it is down to us, each and every one of us,  to get the Alba message out there.

I have seen it all before, it was much the same with the SNP in the mid eighties, they were a small Party then, not much bigger than Alba now. They had little money, the MSM were rarely interested. They struggled for many years until the Govan By election created the political shock that set Independence back on the agenda. Alba victories on The 6th May will put Independence top of the agenda in 2021. 

Let’s get that Supermajority!

I am, as always

Yours for Scotland

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