It’s two days after the General Election. June 8th 2017, a significant day in history to which we are able to determine who we want as Prime Minister and more importantly for me in Scotland, the number of MP’s we can send down to Westminster to hold the new or old Government to account. This is my insight on the doors of polling stations and out and about on the streets chatting to local voters.
It was an earlier start for most of us on polling day. I remember going to my bed the night before and saying to my girlfriend that if I don’t get up for the two alarms I’ve set then please feel free to hit me with something. It was fundamental to have a person with an SNP lapel on their chest standing at the polling stations as soon as the doors open. It may sound unneeded by most but the impact that has is fundamental to gaining votes.
I got up at 4.22 am, knowing that I had a few hours left but I was too excited to go back to sleep. Today was the day. I got a shower, went down stairs and got ready. Proudly putting my SNP lapel on the left hand side of my chest. I nervously waited for an hour or so before I left. I was nervous because this party, the policies, the progressiveness and vision we share, means so much to me. I didn’t want to let anyone down either.
My primary aim for today was to make sure I do my best to help our SNP group get our two MP’s re-elected to Westminster. Patricia Gibson, who was the candidate for North Ayrshire and Arran and Dr Phillipa Whitford. Who was the candidate for Central Ayrshire. After that it was simply crossing my fingers and praying that the rest of the SNP candidates got elected across Scotland.
I received a text message when I was just about to get in my car from Cllr Scott Davidson, who I was meeting in Kilwinning to direct me of where I had to be and what I was doing for the day. This man is like a machine. He doesn’t stop. He works tirelessly and endlessly to ensure no stone is left unturned and I have the upmost respect for him as a person and now as a Councillor. He directed all of the activists to their stations, he had a plan for everyone and even made contingency plans when one of our activists had to leave as her daughter was in an incident. He was on his feet all day, ensuring voters got out and vote and making it possible for a landslide victory for both candidates. He is a true credit to the SNP and someone I hope is around for many years to come, playing a vital role in the party.
Another person who is very similar to Cllr Scott Davidson is the father of our First Minister. Robin Sturgeon, he is the main co-ordinator and directs the activists in the Irvine area and around. He is one of the most hardworking, loyal people I’ve gotten to know and he has the SNP’s best interests at heart, no matter what. When he just missed the quota to become Councillor at last months local elections, he was straight out the next morning, organising a street stall to help re-elect Dr Whitford to Westminster. He also is a massive credit to the SNP and it will be a joy to learn from him over the coming years. His hard work and knowledge is invaluable to the party and the Cunninghame South group and he never seeks recognition for it. A true gentleman that will always put the interests of the party and work tirelessly to ensure we succeed on every level. Without him would enable more challenging times. Cunninghame South is very lucky to have him. I respect and admire him greatly.
I arrived at Love Hall in Kilwinning to meet Cllr Davidson and his son Scott. M. Davidson. Both were in suited attire, ready for the day ahead. We got some pictures taken and then I headed off to Nethermains Community Centre, where I would be a polling agent till 10am. I parked my car the recommended 25 feet away from the doors of the polling station as it had SNP placards on the back window. A last visual display for anyone going to vote. It was only last month I stood at this very spot, talking with the same caretaker. He had no interest in politics so we chatted about the weather. It was raining, heavily and I left my jacket in the car. I breathed in the air and stood proudly with my SNP lapel. Just as I did over one month ago.
The steady trickle of voters started to transcend past me and into the building. I would welcome them and hand them a leaflet about the changes Patricia Gibson wants to implement in North Ayrshire and Arran and how it is imperative that people knew the Tories had cut 2.9 million of funding to North Ayrshire and Arran. And further cuts were still to take place. Patricia Gibson was, and is the best person to challenge them and be our voice.
An elderly lady from a distance came nearer and nearer to me. At first I thought she would walk past me and make her way to the door. She walked straight over to me and said “ok, tell me why I should vote for your party”. Nothing like being put on the spot but I had prepared. I told her about the Tories cuts to her pension and the axing of the triple lock and how the SNP had ensured our elderly would keep their winter fuel allowance while down in England the Tories planned to axe that too. I told her about bankers bonuses and our plans to tax them. I told her about the £120 billion funding that we will put into public services thus putting an end to austerity. I mentioned that the reason she gets free prescriptions and free personal care is due to the SNP and that my kid had just been to his primary one class, where he had a large, healthy portion of fruit and ham with veg for his lunch. I told her the SNP had implemented this. I told her that Patricia Gibson had a vision for her constituents and that she aimed to ensure more funding was put in place for North Ayrshire and Arran. That with Patricia’s voice she would be looked after in amidst of right wing Britain. That no matter how bad it gets, she has an MP that will fight for her every step of the way. We chatted for about ten minutes and after she said “that’s it then, SNP it is”. This made my day, my week, my year. I had helped someone make one of the most important decisions of their life. I had made a difference, no matter how small it was. That one vote gained wasn’t down to just me. It was down to the SNP groups commitment to putting people on the doors at polling stations because if I hadn’t been there, who knows who she would of voted for.
Again, like last month, Anne walked over from her house at 9.55am. She had a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She knew the importance of today and you could see what it meant to her. She was there to take over from me so that I could get back to Love Hall to meet Cllr Scott Davidson and his son Scott. When I arrived at Love Hall there was no where to park. It was a narrow road leading to a junction up a hill. It wasn’t designed for so many cars parked on it. There were voters going in and out and I learned quickly that I could make sense of who had voted for us and who hadn’t. There were some people that could win a poker tournament though and left me scratching my head as to who they’d voted for. Cllr Scott Davidson had a plan in mind. The percentages were looking on par with the 2015 General Election at the same time. So he decided that it would be an advantage to send Young Scott and myself around the doors to remind our voters to vote. This turned out to be very important as a couple of voters had indeed forgot or were planning a day out. We had a map in hand and names and addresses so young Scott and myself took off in my car and made a start to lifting the turnout percentage. Scott is 20 years old and has a mind beyond his years. We had a very good chat about politics and a few laughs too. For someone so young, he really has a keen interest in politics and not only that, he is very politically aware. He is like his Dad in many ways, very smart, innovative and cares about others. It was a pleasure to spend most of the day with him. I would urge you to remember the name as both his father and young Scott himself, will be making Kilwinning and North Ayrshire a vibrant, lustrous town in the near and distant future.
We rallied around door to door putting leaflets through to remind our voters that today was the big day. We had our SNP lapels on so it was prominent of who we are and what we were there for. Elderly, young kids and voters of all ages would stop and have a chat with us. Giving us a thumbs up and a wave. Construction workers shouting over to us “cmon the SNP”. A lady chapped her window from a distance to get our attention only for a second to let us know we had her support. It was brilliant. It was giving us a second wind to push for votes. It kept us going.
We made plans with Cllr Davidson to be back and finished for 2pm. We would meet him and John Ferguson at the towns local cafe, The Boulevard. The notes and addresses of the voters and been soaked in the rain but you could still make out the figures of the people we had reached. We had been on our feet since 6.30am and we now stopped for lunch at 2pm. We could have kept going all day without a break because the buzz and adrenaline was thriving amongst us. We sat at the table and spoke about everything. John Ferguson is a retired teacher and ex Councillor. I could listen to his past experiences and stories for ages. He helps with the current councillors with advice and the formalities of paperwork and the do’s and don’ts of the political world. He’s a rock to the group and an invaluable asset. When he speaks, people listen. He is empathetic to the younger electorate and wants nothing more than for them to have a bright and prosperous future. He could retire and go holidays and relax but instead he wants to fight for what’s right. Fight for the next generation to have a fairer society under the SNP. It’s a pleasure to know him and listen to his vast wealth of knowledge.
We finished our lovely lunch. I had to leave the group for a brief moment as I had arranged to take my Mum to hospital for tests. She is due to undergo treatment for cancerous cells found in her body. More tests are yet to be done but the doctors want this to happen as soon as possible. She will get another biopsy on Tuesday to understand the full extend of operations that will be required. My Mum is remarkable and special. I love you Mum.
Once I’d dropped my parents off at the hospital, I quickly realised that I hadn’t yet voted myself. I picked up my Girlfriend jodie on the way to the polling station and drove round to Elderbank Primary School. When we arrived at the table to receive our ballot papers, we said ‘hi’ to the public sector workers. Familiar faces that we have saw over the years. We walked into the booths and marked an ‘X’ next to our local candidate for the SNP – Phillipa Whitford. On the way out I stopped and had a chat with the SNP activist who was standing outside. We chatted for about 15 minutes. It was great to see so many activists doing their bit. The importance of being there when voters made their way into the building is vital. Just as we touched on earlier.
It was reaching 6pm now and I dropped Jodie back off at the house. I told her I was sorry for being away for so long today but she knew what this meant to me. She is very supportive of my activism and for that I’m thankful. I phoned Cllr Davidson before I drove back to find out where they are and what the rest of the plans for the day were. When I got back to Love Hall I saw more and more people walking through the doors to cast their vote. It was a frequent flow of people throughout the day and the rain never seemed to deter anyone. Cllr Davidson asked young Scott and myself if we would go back to the streets and continue to do what we were doing in reminding the voters of the task in hand.
We carried on our mission and again we had people chapping windows, tooting car horns and the odd wink here and there from people on the street. It was encouraging to know that so many people backed our vision and shared the same views. The people we met were lovely, engaging and couldn’t of been nicer. A testament to the communities in Kilwinning. I’ve worked, lived and played for the local football team here and it reaffirms my love for the place. At this point now we were soaked right through but that didn’t matter. We enjoyed this. It is our passion.
I got a call from Cllr Davidson just before 8pm asking if we can head back to Love Hall as his wife Lorna was manning the door and she had to get back home for the kids. We got there just before 8pm with many addresses being ticked off the list. It was a productive day but it hadn’t quite finished yet. There were two hours to go before the ballot boxes were shut. Cllr Davidson asked young Scott if he wanted to go home but his thoughts were purely on ensuring every vote counted for the SNP so decided to stay with me until the doors were locked. I was happy with that. It also shows what this meant to him. He’s clearly a bright young man with a bright future ahead of him and his parents are very proud. He’s clearly been brought up with principles and a political drive.
The last of the voters started to trickle through the door. The late comers, the people finishing their shift from work. I sent Cllr Davidson the last update of the turnout. Around 58% averaging the three tables with North Ayrshire and Arran turnout at 64.5%. At this point Cllr Davidson was at home getting ready for the count. He keeps going, even through the night he doesn’t stop working. Astonishing commitment. A gentleman walks in to vote. He stops for a brief chat. States that he went to school with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Throughout the day, young Scott and I tried to determine who people were voting for. We couldn’t put our finger on who this gentleman would vote for and of course the rules stated that we couldn’t ask or chat about it until after he had voted and was outside the building. We nodded and listened to him speak about his time at school with Nicola. He seemed less than impressed with the SNP and wasn’t giving anything away still. He then proceeded to make his way in to vote. Five minutes later he walked out of the building. He spoke to us more and told us about his business and that all of his friends and employees were voting Tories. He said that one of his friends said he would vote Tories because Theresa May had nice legs. Young Scott and I looked at each other as if this was some sort of joke. This man had Unionist written all over him. Then something amazing happened. I asked him if he didn’t mind telling us who he’d voted for. I had never asked anyone outside the polling station this before but something inside me had to ask. His response blew me away. He said that he’d voted for the SNP because they had helped him in his time of need. That his business rates, through the Tories had sky rocketed and there were no light at the end of the tunnel for him and his business. He told me that the SNP had reduced his rates thus making it affordable to finance his business. I looked at Scott and smiled. It was a great ending to a great day. I told the gentleman that it was indeed the woman that he had just voted for’s husband that had helped 2300 businesses across North Ayrshire in reducing their business rates. MSP Kenneth Gibson. It really was a wonderful moment. The SNP had helped him get back on his feet and he saw past the rhetorical conversations with his employees and friends and chose to vote for the progressive party that helped employ them all and keep his business alive.
It was now 9.59pm. With only one minute remaining, we noticed a car speeding up the road. A man jumping out and running faster than Usain Bolt towards the doors. We said ‘good evening’ but he had no desire to exchange pleasantries as time was ticking on his vote. He made it and on his way out he had a relaxed look on his face and explained to us that he had finished work at 6pm and fell asleep. It just shows the importance of our votes and what it means to people. Even up to the last minute.
I had a great day campaigning, polling with wonderful people. All sharing the same vision. We won across Scotland with our second highest result ever. Our two MP candidates that we campaigned for have been re-elected and will continue to be a strong voice for us in a time of uncertainty. I wanted to share my experience with you all and I hope you have gotten a little insight into my day. Thank you. ALBA GU BRATH.
You can follow David Patterson on twitter at @DavidPee29 or at his webpage davesworld