WITH lockdown continuing in most of the country, the Yes movement is asking how can they campaign in advance of the Scottish Parliament elections.
The answer at the moment is that the provisional intention as agreed by the Scottish Government, the various parties and the Electoral Commission is to allow door-to-door canvassing from April 5 – provided the current Stay at Home restrictions have been lifted and the infection rate across Scotland has fallen to 50 per 100,000.
It will be next week before the Government can say if the target is being met, but the Yes DIY page must also warn that popular Yes movement activities such as street stalls and hustings are banned for the duration of the campaign.
Here’s what the Government said earlier this month: “Activities such as street stalls, physical hustings and giving voters a lift to polling stations will not be permitted for the duration of the campaign.”
There has been no alteration to that ruling, but rest assured if there’s any change we’ll let you know.
If voting in-person is likely to prove difficult for anyone, campaigners should take the opportunity to highlight the options to apply for a postal or proxy vote. Anyone wishing to apply for a postal vote needs to have returned their application form to their local electoral registration office by April 6. The deadline for a proxy vote application is April 27.
It looks as though Zoom hustings and direct emails to candidates will go ahead, and showing great forethought, Dumfries and Galloway Pensioners for Independence have drawn up some questions to ask candidates if they get the chance.
They told The National: “Elections for the Scottish Parliament take place on May 6. While lockdown restrictions start to ease it is still uncertain how much scrutiny candidates will be subject to. There are a number of issues which specifically concern pensioners and if you have the opportunity you might wish raise these with candidates:
1. UK pensions are the lowest in the developed world. What can the Scottish Government do to lift Scottish Pensioners out of poverty?
2. Women born in the 1950s have been particularly hard hit by changes to pensions. What can you do to right this wrong?
3. What changes will you support to care facilities for pensioners when they need it?
4. What will you do to reverse the cuts to vital local services such as banks and post offices?
5. What changes will you make to transport provision to improve pensioners’ mobility?
6. What will you do to address pensioners’ isolation in a rural environment?
7. What can you do to restore free TV licences to over-75s?”
That will do for a start.
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