POLITICS MATTERS: For a sitting MP, the election count is a nerve-shattering drama
The general election beckons. For parliamentary candidates, they are facing the last lap of a gruelling, testing marathon.
Stamina, self-belief and the ability to eat a take-away on the hoof are all essential requirements for today’s A-list candidates - irrespective of political party.
I had the honour of fighting five consecutive general elections locally between 1987 and 2005 and I lived to tell the tale. The real star of any election campaign, however, is the election agent. As a young, fresh-faced, first-time candidate, my agent told me without any ceremony that I was merely ‘an electoral necessity’ and not to get in the way!
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The best agents, in my experience, are a cross between a Regimental Sergeant Major and Mother Teresa - they are organised, efficient and decisive, but always available to listen to the woes and problems of their candidates. I was lucky in my time to have had former Inverness Provost Jimmy Gray and ex-Labour organiser Ron Stevenson as my agents, both of whom were first class, working round the clock throughout the campaign and keeping things on track.
Spare a thought for all the hard-working candidates, battling through rain storms and, over recent days, heatwaves, in an attempt to get their message over to local voters, who are increasingly cynical about politicians across the political divide. There are the hustings meetings, designed to be a cruel and unusual punishment for the unwary or unprepared candidate.
I remember in my early days at a hustings in Lochaber being asked about the variation on payments for the Hill Stock Levy Compensation Scheme. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to phone a friend.
For a sitting MP, the election count is a nerve-shattering drama. Losing your seat, live on TV in front of hundreds of party activists and then having to speak, praising the new Member of Parliament - who had just given you your P45 - requires a certain strength of character. The support of good family and friends definitely helps as well.
On the other hand, winning a seat, particularly if it was unexpected, gives a political high that goes off the Richter scale.
President John F Kennedy was spot on when he said that ‘victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan’. So, in the early hours of next Friday, when you are sitting in the comfort of your own home watching the election results come in, spare a thought for the poor foot soldiers of the campaign across the political spectrum, all the parliamentary candidates and their teams. And, of course, their agents.
Local talent bring pride to the Highlands
I’m just back from an extended stay in sunny California to see son Andrew and our beautiful first grandchild Kiana.
Andrew and I were keen to watch former Caley Thistle star Nick Ross play for the local professional football team - Sacramento Republic. I was most impressed with the professionalism and razzmatazz at the game and it helped that it was a lovely sunny evening at 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Sacramento had sponsorship for each corner gained by the club and this flashed up on a giant screen at the edge of the park. Although it was a 0-0 draw, Nick had a fine game, as you would expect from a Scottish Cup winner when he was with ICT.
A few days after the match, Nick kindly came to our central Sacramento hotel to chat about his days with Caley Thistle. I recalled, for example, his splendid equalising goal against Hearts at Easter Road in the semi-final of the League Cup. Nick is an excellent example of a fine Highland player, nurtured through the club’s academy coaches, who went on to mature and develop on the international stage.
There is great uncertainty around the future of Caley Thistle at the moment, but surely part of the solution must be to develop and grow local talent and aim to bounce back into the Championship immediately. Nick Ross, Ryan Christie and many others demonstrate so well what fantastic talent exists locally. They bring pride to the Highlands with their achievements.
