Is this just a party vote?
So how should you vote in these coming national elections in Scotland? Or in the local elections in England? Postal ballot papers are dropping through doors and if you prefer voting in person, there are just two weeks until that happens.
The media, opinion polls, and the parties themselves focus very much on voting for a political party and many of us have an affiliation with a particular one… for myself that is the SNP, despite the fact that they expelled me for my comments on Israel!
And for the second/list/regional vote in Scotland it is basically a party vote, although you might want to check who are the top few candidates on a particular party list. But is the first/constituency or ward vote purely about the party? I would suggest not. With the constituency vote we are choosing an individual (who is normally a member of a political party) to represent our area.
So, I would suggest that the character of that person is important as well as what party they belong to. And by character I am using that word in a fairly wide sense. For example, if you prefer a woman to a man, a younger person to an older one, a disabled person, or someone from an ethnic minority, these could all be factors in how you choose to vote.
But also how about - does this person have a personality or are they just a cog in the party machine? If they have been in politics before, how did they vote in matters that are important to you, e.g. Assisted Dying or Gender Recognition Reform or a very local issue? Are they a person you would trust? Would you lend them money and expect it to come back?! What do you think are their motives for being in politics – to serve themselves or to serve the community?
I accept that it can be difficult to judge all this if you have never heard of, met, or know much about the candidates in your area. But there is still time to send them a text or email asking them a few key questions. Even whether they answer or not will tell you something about their priorities. At almost every election constituents who were pro-life or pro-choice asked me for my view on abortion.
Others asked me about independence, assisted dying, or other issues which were key for them personally. If a candidate refuses to answer or avoids answering directly, then that tells you a lot about them. Do you want an MSP or a councillor who will give you a straight answer even if you do not like it? Or do you prefer one who is trying to please everyone and goes whichever way the wind is blowing at the time?
I would not go as far as suggesting we have no political parties at all! I experienced that when I lived in Nepal in the 1980s and parties still operated below the surface. And some of our local councils in Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Borders, had a traditional of independent councillors.
However, that system had mixed results and it can be very difficult to achieve coherent policies without the parties to give some underlying structure. But I would suggest that while the party and its policies certainly are important, the individual candidate and their character (or lack of it!) matters too.
Clearly most people do vote for or against a party, perhaps also considering who the party leader might be. But we do not have to vote that way. And it is difficult to complain about the way an MSP or councillor behaves after they are elected, if we did not consider them and their character before we cast our votes. There is a tendency for all parties to select and promote candidates who will toe the party line and are part of the party machine. But is that really what we the electorate want or need?
I do hear people saying they want politicians with integrity, wisdom, and other aspects of a strong character. But we will not get such people if we vote purely on party lines. I confess that I am pessimistic about this changing any time soon! But at least I want to challenge the present system and to encourage others to at least consider character as well as party when voting on 7th May.
John Mason is a former SNP and independent MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, having previously served as MP for Glasgow East and as a Glasgow City councillor.
