I’ve just voted in the Alba office bearer elections – the ballot doesn’t close until 10th September, but I thought I’d better get it done now in case it slips my mind later on. I was slightly surprised by how the nominations worked out – all of the buzz on social media had been for the potential female candidates for depute leader, probably because of a desire for gender balance in the leadership team. So I was half-expecting an all-female contest, perhaps between Michelle Ferns and Eva Comrie. Personally I nominated Eva Comrie, and I was surprised when she didn’t make the ballot (although she’s a candidate for Equalities Convener instead) and Kenny MacAskill did. But now that Mr MacAskill is an option and clearly wants the position, I have to say I think he’s the obvious choice. I dipped in and out of the hustings, and I was increasingly impressed by Michelle Ferns as it went on, but that didn’t change my view that it makes sense to have someone with the tremendous experience and profile of someone like Mr MacAskill as depute leader, especially as the party is trying to get itself established.
Incidentally, I liked the fact that both candidates took the question about the high male suicide rate seriously. I’d have liked to have seen them go a little further, though, and accept that the phenomenon is actually rooted in gender, in much the same way that the structural challenges faced by women are gender-related. The idea that it can instead be put down to poverty doesn’t entirely ring true, because there are as many women living in poverty, and if men are far more likely to take their own lives there must be an additional gender-related factor.
In the Equalities Convener ballot, I surprised myself slightly by giving my first preference to Suzanne Blackley. I went into the hustings expecting to vote for Eva Comrie, but I just felt that Ms Blackley’s pitch gave her the very slight edge. However, I gave my second preference vote to Eva Comrie.
The Local Government Convener ballot was the one I found toughest. The hustings muddied the waters for me because Brian Topping was having severe sound problems and I was very impressed by Leigh Wilson, but I did give my first preference to the former MSP Mike MacKenzie in the end.
And last but not least, I plumped for the former MP Corri Wilson in the Membership Convener vote.
