The Caledonian Mercury has invited some of those in the election firing-line to send regular bulletins about the personal side of campaigning. Ken O'Neill is standing as an independent candidate in the Lothian electoral region.Whoosh! That was a busy, exciting and interesting week. They do say a week is a long time in politics and this felt a long week. Tuesday 5 April D-Day – the campaign launch. A few last-minute jitters, but they pass quickly and then I press the send button. I've sent the press release announcing my candidacy to newspapers and various websites. Hopefully that will lead to positive mentions. As an independent, I know that the big four parties and the Greens will receive at least 90 per cent of the coverage. Hopefully someone will appreciate that Lothian needs another independent voice fighting its corner and will cover my campaign. Thursday 7 April My first hustings event was tonight, organised by Edinburgh's Active Citizenship Group and chaired by Lesley Riddoch. There were nine other speakers on the panel and I spoke last. I kept my nerves under control and the audience clapped when I finished.
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After the event in Deacon Brodie's, the organisers said I came across well. That was reassuring, always good to know I'm getting my message across. I hope they tell their friends about me and what I had to say. Saturday 9 April A break from the campaign trail as I take the bairns to see Shaun's Big Shoes at the Playhouse. Wonderful fun and I now believe a sheep can dance. I was disappointed to see that the ice cream on sale wasn't from Scotland. I'd like to see more local businesses source goods and services locally. That will help us improve the economy and reduce our carbon footprint. My manifesto includes the creation of the Lothian Lolly, which would act as a local currency for use at local shops. Brixton has a similar idea and it has helped to increase local trade and revive the area. I think it's a simple way to improve the local economy and the country at the same time. Sunday 10 April I watched the party leaders on the BBC's Politics Show. I wouldn't call it a debate, though – they didn't even get through their introductions before talking over each other. You have to wonder why such an important opportunity to show Scotland what the parties stand for is on at lunchtime on a Sunday. The media says that the public are not engaged or interested in politics. Does putting the debate on at this time give people the opportunity to engage? I doubt many people would choose to watch it over enjoying the sunshine. After the hot air, I enjoy the warm weather at Ecofusion in Inverleith Park – a great atmosphere with glorious sunshine. I really enjoyed looking round all the stalls and soaking up the atmosphere. I watched the Mugen Taiko Dojo drummers' stunning coordination in awe and enjoyed listening to Sambasene and Diwan. The only downside was the Mosque Kitchen had run out of vegetable curry by the time I reached the top of the queue. Towards the end, I passed out my campaign leaflet and talked to people. I had some interesting chats with folk, discussing everything from education to transport, park playgrounds to housing rights. One thing that did come up was confusion over who was eligible to vote and for what. The deadline for registering to vote is Friday 14 April at 1700 and I tell everyone to make sure they don't miss the opportunity to have their say. In the evening I post my manifesto on the website, making sure my supporters, Twitter followers and Facebook friends see it first. I think it makes sense for them to read it before journalists. After all, they're the ones who will make the decision on whether I'm elected or not.Want to discuss other issues? Join the debate on our new Scottish Voices forum
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