Privileges

"What you see when you open your curtains in a morning determines everything..., how you feel about the place where you stay, how you feel about yourself, whether you have the self-confidence and motivation to go to work, whether you let the kids out to play; indeed, whether you even get up in the morning."

I had the great privilege today to talk to an audience, on a national platform, about a subject I feel passionate about - the right of every person to live in an environment that is good and makes them feel good. Too many of our communities, particularly here in Central Scotland where we've raped and pillaged the environment to support our modern lifestyles, have been left with degraded environments, derelicts sites and deprived lives.

It is no coincidence that our least successful communities are located in our worst areas. It is no coincidence that our areas of lowest health are in these areas. If people have access to good quality green space, they are 24% more likely to be physically active. 37% of coronary heart disease is coronary heart disease is linked with low levels of physical activity. 33% of businesses cite environmental quality as a key factor in relocation decisions. 80% of Scotland's vacant and derelict sites lie in Central Scotland. 9% of the population in Central Scotland is unemployed, compared with a Scottish average of 4%. 88% of Scotland's most deprived areas are in Central Scotland. You do the maths!

If that doesn't convince you of the need to do something, I don't know what will. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to get involved and play my part. I get to talk about the issues and raise awareness. I get to argue and debate and seek to influence change. I may not have the physical time to do things myself, but I have the ability to make it easier for others.

I also have the responsibility. I've had the privileges. It's only fair that I use them to put something back in. I do the work I do because I think it's important to try to make a difference. I sometimes wonder if I'm really achieving anything. Days like today make it all worthwhile!

Excitement grows

I blogged yesterday about the importance of voting, and the excitement we should all feel about an election. And for me today the excitement grew. Having undertaken my training as a stand by, today it was confirmed that tomorrow I get to be a Polling Station Inspector. Yay! It will be the first time I've had a formal role in an election and I'm thrilled.

I've had a bit part in the last 2 major elections - 2007 as candidate liaison at the count, with the unenviable task of trying to explain the electronic counting system; and last year just helping out at the count - my main responsibility was acting as runner for the counters and sealing up the unused ballot envelopes. There's such an adrenaline rush being involved, and since you know my views on our rights and responsibility in relation to voting, you'll realise I see this as a real perk of the job.

Thinking back, my first real experience of elections was in 1974 when the then Conservative (?) government had the audacity to call one of the year's 2 elections on my birthday in February. I can remember asking my Mum what she voted, and being told in no uncertain terms that you didn't ask that question. What a person votes is personal and private to them. This is emphasised in the guidance and training for my current role. The primary purpose and responsibility of polling station staff is to ensure people are able to vote, and to do so in secret and with utmost privacy.

After my inaugural - and not particularly promising - brush with democracy, my interest remained piqued. I can remember Thatcher being elected PM in 1979 - more because she was the first (and still, only) woman than because of her politics. Then in High School I developed a deep and abiding interest in politics as a whole (thanks Mr Walker, my fab Modern Studies teacher) - and it's stayed with me ever since.

 As a student I got the chance to be involved personally - staffing a polling station at one election, running the campaign for a student candidate at another, and even standing for election myself. I was spared canvassing, however, as no-one stood against me (in either of the positions I stood for) and I was therefore returned unopposed. I loved the counts most of all - all the glitz, glamour and excitement.

And now I get to do it for real as part of my job. Sometimes there really are perks!

Tomorrow's going to be busy - with an early start. My inspection route is out in the rural part of our area and I need to be at my first station when polls open at 7 am, 2 visits during the day to each station and then I'll not be able to resist heading on to the first part of the count tomorrow evening. We're doing a Friday count but that still means there's ballot box receipt and ballot paper reconciliation to be completed tomorrow, so it will probably be Friday before my day ends. And then up early again the next day for the count proper. And since we're counting on Friday rather than overnight on Thursday, if the election result is as close as some of the polls suggest it might be, we could be in the eye of the storm as regards overall results.

As I said, excitement grows!!

V is for vote

It's an exciting week we have in prospect here. No, really - it is! There's an election to vote in, and what could be more exciting than that? Perhaps an election and a referendum?


This Thursday sees another election day. In Scotland these days elections are a fairly regular occurence - not because of any fragility in our political structures, but because there are just so many opportunities to vote. Last year was the Westminster (UK) election, this year it's Holyrood's turn (Scottish Parliament) - and the special Brucey Bonus of a referendum on what system we should use to elect our Westminster MPs. And next year, the local Councils in Scotland get their chance. No doubt there'll be a European election in there somewhere some time soon too. Sadly the very local level doesn't seem to attract enough interest to generate elections for Community Councils - which is a pity. But I'm pleased to see that the Youth Parliament elections this year were well contested - at least here in Stirling - so maybe the future's not completely bleak for political activism!

As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of voting, particularly for women, for whom the right to vote is still enough of a novelty for us to cherish it. I don't really mind whether you use your vote wisely or foolishly, or if you even just go along a spoil your ballot paper, that's your choice. The most important thing is that you take part.

I haven't decided yet how I'll vote on Thursday but I do know I will definitely be voting. And as I'm doing it I'll be thinking about the women who fought - and in some cases, died - to make sure that I could. I'll be thinking about the countries where people walk miles, sometimes for days, and queue for hours to exercise their right to vote, often in dangerous situations. And I'll be thinking about those other places where the universal right to vote is still a distant pipe dream.

I hope you will too. It's your right. But it's also your responsibility. Don't waste it and don't shirk it.