If you are a candidate for the council and feel you have something to offer the people of the Western Isles, let them know. I will interview any candidate by Skype or by telephone. Skype can also include video, if you have access to a decent webcam.
Videos on this blog can be viewed by thousands of people each day. Make it entertaining and you could become an internet sensation overnight. If you don’t have Skype yourself, you will know someone who does. Probably at least 10. Every village has at least one Skype user. Ask around.
No face-to-face candidate interviews as that could be unfair because it would be easier for, for example, candidates near to me and therefore potentially unfair to Uist and Barra candidates. My blog is not a regulated, statutory broadcaster so I don’t have to be fair – I just prefer to be.
Fill your boots, candidates. I will record up to 10 minutes with you. I will ask you some set questions which may or may not include the following:
1. Why would you be a good councillor?
2. What would be your priorities?
3. How can the island economy be improved?
You can also give me up to three questions to ask you. It will all be Q&As as presentations are almost always mind-numbingly boring for listeners and viewers. Just be honest – be yourself.
Do a good video interview setting out your priorities and you could romp home. Yay. Go on, the sooner you call me the more viewers will see and hear you before the election. It’s fun. Sitting members and new candidates equally welcome.
Remember – for the clearest video and audio, you should download the latest version of Skype from the skype.com website. Don’t download it from another site with a similar name. That is how to get viruses.
If you just can’t get to grips with Skype, because there is a bit of a learning curve at first, there are other simpler ways get similar results.
To take part, leave a message for me on Stornoway 703000 any day up to 10.30pm.
The list of candidates:
BARRA, VATERSAY, ERISKAY AND SOUTH UIST: David Blaney (Independent); Peter Carlin (Independent); Calum Macaulay (Independent); Angus Macdonald (Independent); Ronnie Mackinnon (Scottish Labour Party); Allan F Macleod (Independent); Gerry Macleod (SNP); Calum Macmillan (Independent); Donald Manford (SNP); Donnie Steele (Independent) and Eric Wallis (Independent).
BENBECULA AND NORTH UIST: Neil Macdonald Beaton (Independent); Archie K Campbell (Scottish Labour Party); Michael Maclean (Independent); Uisdean Robertson (Independent); Martin Taylor (Independent) and Andrew Walker (SNP)
HARRIS AND SOUTH LOCHS: Catherine Macdonald (Independent); DJ Macrae (Scottish Labour Party); Philip Robert McLean (SNP) and David Cameron Wilson (SNP).
UIG AND NORTH LOCHS: Bill Houston (SNP); Annie Macdonald (SNP); Norman Alexander Macdonald (Independent); Norman A Puss Macdonald (Independent); Catherine Mary Maciver (Independent); Cudig Macleod (Independent) and Barry Steven Shelby (Independent).
POINT: John Norman Orica Macdonald (SNP); Iain Don Maciver (Independent); Alasdair Macleod (Independent); Norman M Macleod (Independent); Donald John Macsween (Independent); Donald Nicholson (Independent) and Zena Stewart (Independent).
STORNOWAY SOUTH: Angus Campbell (Independent); Keith Dodson (Independent); Bob Duncan (SNP); Rae Mackenzie (SNP); Uilleam Macleod (Independent); Angus McCormack (Independent) and Charlie Nicolson (Independent).
STORNOWAY NORTH: Ahmed Mohammed (SNP); Neil Campbell (Independent); Iain Maclean Macaulay (Independent); Jackie Mackay (Independent); Roddie Mackay (Independent); Iain Mackenzie (Independent); David Morrison (Independent); Gordon Murray (SNP); Murdo Angus Murray (Independent) and Kevin Paterson (Scottish Labour Party).
BROAD BAY: Donald Finlayson Crichton (Independent); John A Maciver (SNP); Kenneth A Maciver (Independent); Alasdair Nicholson (Independent) and Catriona Stewart (Independent).
WEST SIDE AND NESS: Alastair Dunlop (Independent); John Mackay (Independent); Alistair Maclennan (Independent); Kenneth Macleod (SNP); Iain Morrison (Independent) and Kenneth Macleod Murray (Independent).
How many of these folks are speakers of the Gaelic ? That is a very pertinent question.
And, what’s wrong with naughty words ? If they mean naught then whether they use them or not naught matters.
Mr X – Thank you for writing the ward names in a language we can all read and understand. I asked my neighbour for translations of the ones on another website and even she didn’t know and she has spoken gaelic all her life .
Who’s Donald Crichton ?
Only one ‘new Scot’ amongst a page of candidates ! When the Western Isles are flooded with ‘new Scots’ who will really rule ? That is the question ! The work of the sociologist, Edward Shils (University of Chicago and the London School of Economics) a disciple of Karl Mannheim who concocted Ideologie und Utopie (1929), One utopia – the Western Isles – substituted by some dystopia where power wafts we do not know where !
Dudha ?
Our family are still waiting to find out who Donald Crichton is – so why confuse us with complicated ,didactic, utopian questions of a philoshophical ,political nature.
Why not answer the question -who or what is this Crichton chappie ?
How can any of us voters in Back vote for a pig in a poke if we don’t know what it is ?
The question is not who “are speakers of the Gaelic”, or who is a “new Scot” (whatever the heck that is).
The question is: which of the candidates is honest, ethical, and financially and economically skilled?
I’ll take knowing how to deal with funding cuts with the least impact on front line services, over knowing what the Gaelic is for sheep wool or where their great-grandfather came from.
quite right iowa boy . sadly probably a majority of voters will be more concerned with the latter and of course what church they go to . which is why we get such unsuitable representatives . i think some dead wood will go this time though .
I hear from good sources there are a few councillors already in there who have hardly said anything sensible in the council chamber since they were elected . They should be exposed .
(Adds) so 1 in every 397 residents of the Western Isles is standing for councillor in the election.
power wafts we do not know where
why do we have more councillors than inverness ,Nairn,lochaber and skye combined .i know that the number may be reduced but why not now.What a waste of money.
“…the posse of poorly pensioners and other unemployables who are queueing up to represent…”
With sweeping generalisations like the above I hope you don’t mind if I decline your generous offer any questions the good people of Stornoway North may have they can direct to me personally. I have to say I was very dissappointed that a decent journalist like yourself would use such poor and quite mean phraseology after all there are many reasons for unemployment and many types of employment which although not paid are still employment. The voluntary sector, the unpaid carers and the all the members of the community councils.
Mr Paterson if the usual alliterative jibes by Mister X. have upset you that much then you most certainly are not up to being a councillor in the western isles anyway. withdraw now before anyone else upsets you – you big headed lazy numpty ,
Thank you Mr Morrison for proving my point so admirably.
Oi KP,
dont let him off with that, sort him out in good old Labour style, Joyce/Prescott fashion!
I dont think the SNP need worry about Stornoway north now. Patersons pompous comments have destroyed any chance he had . You can tell he just wanted to find some excuse not to do an interview . Oh well he can now go back to being ‘ fully employed ‘ doing nothing . What an advert for the Labour party .
No Bo.. Er I mean Mr Junkie Mr Morrison has every right to speak his mind and besides violence never solved anything.
Kevin, you are wrong to decline the offer of an interview which would reach those who would not normally attend any hustings. I trust you will not do the same with any hustings meetings. Please do not take a leaf out of your Bradford West colleague’s book – BIG MISTAKE – unless you plan to be just a ‘paper candidate’. On the other side of the coin the personal abuse does not exactly put your detractors in a good light. A little mutual respect is called for. After all, in the absence of support for the islands from their parliamentary representatives, survival will be up to the Comhairle and some new councillors, ones whose first thoughts are for islanders is sorely needed.
Kevin’s a big boy now, he can do whatever he wants. Stop telling Kevin what to do!
You are an intelligent man Kevin Paterson. Even you must have worked out that Bob, like yourself, only comments under his real name. Besides, I know for a fact that he hasn’t taken part in this blog for weeks because of Iain X’s appalling comments and lack of journalistic integrity from about a month ago.
As for Jean Davis I am not aware that any of the Western Isles candidates are standing for her party, but I do know that the LibDems are an irrelevance to Scottish politics after last May’s elections.
Everyone is anticipating a similar libDems wipeout in Council elections across Scotland. So I am bot sure why she feel the need to take part in discussions in these Islands unless Inverness has become boring for her.
So which particular comment by the waspish Ian X has Big Bob taken umbrage with ? Wed all like to know wouldnt we ? On the other hand if X manages to upset both the SNP and the Labour crowd then that is exactly how it should be . I find it refreshing that he does not subject us to criticism about one party while feeding us propaganda from the other. Anyone who takes it personally when a blogger journalist says something a bit controversial to get a reaction is indeed a numpty . KP take note and grow a pair ..
Waspish ? Do you mean white anglo-saxon Protestant or “irritable,, petulant, ill-tempered, or sharp in retort” ? … power wafts we do not know where !
Quite surprised not to see any of the Fair Fuels guys standing for council. My sources inform me they were all at the “who wants to be a Councillor” event in the Comhairle.
I’d be very intersted to know which churches, political parties and other organisations each of the candidates are affiliated to and I’d like to see a list of these published and widely circulated. I’d like to encourage all of the candidates to disclose this information openly so that I, and all the other voters in the Western Isles, have the benefit of fact rather than gossip.
@’Woody Allans’ – even your not that daft. What else has Bo got to do during the day apart from blogs etc. Infact, I bet half his day is spent on these things. Silly remark to make bud when you know it’s a lie.