Needless to say, I'm delighted. Although I was born in Edinburgh, my family on my mother's side are all from Aberdeenshire, and my grandparents still farm near Strichen. Although that's a wee bit further up, there's still a nice sense of symmetry in a member of the family heading back north, which runs against the grain of recent years.
I was in Inverurie on Friday night for a double celebration - the opening of Alex Salmond's new constituency office, and my formal unveiling as the SNP candidate. We managed to fill the local Catholic Church Hall, and in a display of political ecumenicalism, the hall was packed with well-wishers, of all parties and none and from all parts of the constituency. It was made all the more vibrant and successful by the large number of under-20s who made it along too, although the presence of the superb local band 'Rock and Reel' may have been a contributory factor there :-)
Anyway, it's back to London this week to sort out some affairs, and for the Comprehensive Spending Review and Pre Budget Report, both brought forward for the election that is now not to be. After stoking expectation of an election, Brown and his representatives on earth have left themselves looking utterly ridiculous, handing in the process the Conservatives in England a credibility which they probably didn't deserve. After all, if your reason for contemplating an election is because you think you'll win, there's only one possible conclusion to draw when you then pull back from the brink.
Once again, it seems that where our Prime Minister is concerned, his indecision is final. Anyway, whichever comes first - Brown regaining his bottle or his running out of time in office, on the strength of this weekend's efforts, I know our team in Gordon will be up for it.
(Pic by Andrew Mckay)
21 comments:
Congratulations.
Although I wouldn't be voting for you if I lived in Gordon I can still say 'congratulations' and 'good luck' with a modicum of sincerity :) .
Oh my word! That's a jackpot constituency! Congratulations.
I look forward to seeing your name on (and near to the bottom of, of course) the MPs' expenses listing.
Sadly it will be 2 years yet of course...
Congratulations on your selection and best wishes for the election whenever that might be.
If you work at it you can win Gordon - good luck.
all the best in the campaign richard, you have the ability and talent to be a 1st class representative.
Richard, congratulations. I'm not for your politics but I always enjoy what you have to say. having said that I hope you the MP for Gordon for decades, because that way the Union will still be intact.
Well done Richard. You deserve success, as you have earned it. You have been a great ambassador for the cause of independence since your days at Stirling Uni.Keep the blog going though, as I never miss it! One of the best going. See you at Aviemore.
Nice one! Kinda large shoes to step into, but if anyone can do it, you can!
telt ye Broon was a bottler!
Good luck - or rather, congratulations - on being selected for Gordon. It will be strange to have the incumbent campaigning not for himself but for you, but you could not have picked a better constituency if you tried!
The incumbent? Sorry, you did say Gordon, not Banff & Buchan... good luck anyway!
Well, thank you one and all for your support, whether it be political or moral :-)
Congratulations on your selection. For my money, you write the best Scottish political blog I've come across.
I can't with sincerity wish you luck in the election, whenever that comes, but I'm glad you've been recognised in your own party.
Well done for this... now the real fun starts though!
By the way, there'll have to be a 'bloggers' caucus' at Aviemore, won't there?
You could at least have had a shave!!!!
In all seriousness, I know you'll do just grand, look forward to getting out on the doors with you round my ward!
Leave the man alone, Mark! He looks reasonable enough, and you know fine well that in the facial hair stakes, you've seen genuinely ridiculous examples that put that in the shade...
you know fine well that in the facial hair stakes, you've seen genuinely ridiculous examples that put that in the shade...
Thanks, Will, I think... why did no-one ever give me stick for this before I became a candidate, I wonder? Mark's about the 5th person in as many days!
A bloggers caucus sounds like a good idea. Need to arrange that nearer the time.
Well done! Best of luck for 2009 ;-)
Congratulations Richard! Though I'm sure some heavyweight contenders pulling out really swung things ;)
On facial hair, didn't do anybody any harm. Brings gravitas - but not if it's patchy!
Osama, trust me, if you'd seen me in the days when I had a full-on shrubbery across my chin (and Mark has, so he'll back me up), you'll know that some people can pull the beardy look off, and others just look like a muppet. As Mark will vouch, I fell into Column B. :D
Stay clean shaven, Richard, it's easier that way!
Without question, Osama, that's certainly what swung things ;-)
You might be right, Will. It certainly seems that out of those who express a preference, 8 out of 10 don't prefer whiskers.
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