Trumpgate is a Carbuncle

Well it hasn't even started yet. It has had political fallout of all sorts but it is some pride that I'd like to inform you that Donald Trump's Golf Resort has been awarded the Carbuncle for "the Worst Planning Decision".

The judges awarded it when they condemned the decision to "rip up" planning rules to allow the scheme to go ahead. So it appears that Martin Ford, Paul Johnstone, Debra Storr and Sam Coull have made a stand which is backed by others. It is the principle that this was steamrollered out of the hands of the local planning authorities who had reservations, made recommendations and offered a opportunity for a resubmission that clearly stands out in this category.

The fact that a spokesman for Trump has braded the decision a "joke" shows how little regard the Trump organisation has for the law of the land and local people.

On the matter of "Plook on the Plinth" I'll stand beside Tricia Marwick, SNP MSP for Central Fife, just as I did at the by election count who said:

"I am sick to death of people doing down Glenrothes. I fully agree that we
need more civic space in Glenrothes. However, the problem, as we all know, is
that the Kingdom Shopping Centre and the area surrounding it is privately owned
thanks to decisions taken by previous administrations.

"This has left us with virtually no civic space and a town centre
surrounded by roads."

There are elements of Glenrothes that do stand out as quite the opposite. As do the network of paths for pesestrians and cyclists which are similar to those in Livingston. There are sadly some rather dour parts of town. But I've seen and even campaigned in many other such areas across Scotland over recent years.

The Media and Glenrothes

A few days ago I got a ressponse to my letter to STV and Ofcom, but due to being too busy actually with the election I didn't get around to tell you, my readers that. As I expected when I wrote the thing they would hide behind the defence that because the writ had not been moved they were not bound at the time to give balance.

However, looking at last night's result the early nod from the media to only two parties in this race are STV complicit in the squeeze that resulted in both the Lib Dems and Tories losing their deposits. If Jim Parker the Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party candidate can accuse the parties of starting the campaign shortly after John MacDougall was buried, he ignores that fact that at least in the case of two of us we were already fighting the perception that the press were putting about that it was only about two parties. Two be honest of what I had seen and heard of the two candidates for Labour and the Nats they weren't the best men for the job, indeed hearing Lindsay Roy too much in the early hours of Friday morning, while waiting beside the A92, even he seems to think so.

The Nats last night claimed a positive campaign, well seeing the attacks on daily of their literature I find that hard to believe they can say that with a straight face.

I'll dig out some example later and do an update.

But if balance in election coverage in the printed press is battling to get into the final paragraphs of their coverage, which the Tories seemed to fail to do more than us, then we need to look at the rules for coverage of elections more carefully. Yes there is the letter of the regulations but the spirit of them can be breached before the campaign even gets underway and can affect the battle and the outcome ahead.

Delusional Nats, Labour and the Press

How did they all get it so wrong?

I just have to say how come the SNP or Labour observing the same box openings as us could have been so wide off the mark. Many of the Nats either in the Blogosphere or on the street were confident of the result going their way. But to be so far out what went wrong.

The SNP were still adamant that they had it and Labour were less certain. If what I've heard is correct Newsnight at one point called last nights result for the Nats. Various of the bloggers and the MSM blogs picked up on this vibe even citing Brian Taylor. However, it wasn't what I or my fellow Lib Dems were seeing.

Maybe it had something to do with the over complications of their tally sheets. Mike Russell at 10:45 that he was "cautiously optimistic", Labour shortly after were saying "It's too close to call. We haven't had the bundles yet." However, by this time I didn't recorded the Nats ahead in any box that I was looking at nor did my nearest colleagues. Indeed as the initial surge of activity ended not one of us could recall any major SNP dominance. Yet the Nats were still adamantly proclaiming "Yes we can", yes we have and yes we will in the media section that was over my shoulder. More strangely the press and Labour were also believing them.

Yet the big two with all their canvass work and the press got it dramatically wrong 6,737 votes wrong approximately 19% wrong. I'll happily put my trust in the Lib Dem predictors and reading of events on the ground thank you very much. Much less hype, much more accurate. Even if it does mean you enter the last few days trying to get enough vote out to save a deposit that is lost, rather that heading for the tape as elsewhere in Fife.

Glenrothes Polling Day Update

Just two hours to go until the polls close. So time for a brief update.

Ran into my first Labour people on the street at 14:40 yesterday out in Leslie. However, shortly after meeting then the Nats swarmed in. However ran into a second set about half an hour later.

Today actually saw Alex Salmond in the SNP moving A-board to make the it's polling day speech. We're on you side in X, in this case Pitteuchar. Then ran in Kezia out running a canvass in the same street.

Anyhoo I'm off to get changed out of my wet smelly clothes, grab some lasagna and rest my swollen ankle ahead of the count. Watch out to see if you see some of us bloggers on the tele tonight.

I'll do a more thorough post at some point tomorrow or over the weekend.

Here Today, But Elsewhere All Week

Having spent a the bulk of my waking hours over the weekend up in Glenrothes. I'm in my paid work today for a one day week, need to get the weekly stats done by 9am New York Time today. Then I'll be blogging light, if at all for the bulk of the rest of the week.

On Saturday we had a meeting of Linlithgow luminaries on the campaign trail. Out in Pitcoudie I ran into the Education Minister Fiona Hyslop and the SNP Westminster PPC for Linlithgow and Falkirk East Tam Smith. Unlike certain campaigners I met the other week this was the good old West Lothian bonhomie. It is now four Westminster by election campaigns this Parliament and in each one I have been on the same street as Fiona Hyslop at least once. Livingston for obvious reasons, in Dunfermline and West Fife while Willie Rennie and Douglas Chapman greeted each other elsewhere in their canvassing teams me and Fiona said hello. On the last Saturday in Glasgow East I was driven past Fiona while she was out canvassing, and then again on Saturday.

Saturday I also saw Annabel Goldie first as she arrived at the Tory HQ next door to ours, as I was being driven out to do some work. Then in Markinch town centre with their candidate Maurice Golden next to our favourite coffee house when we stopped to grab lunch, and finally as she left for the day.

While Caron has been stuck in the office in Markinch I have been out an about. But like her I have yet to run into any Labour campaigners on any of the streets I've been in. I gave seen some evidence of their existence. Leaflets on the mat behind the doors I get to, and yesterday evening in Lochgelly a Labour sticker on the ground. However, I have met on various streets SNP and Tory campaigners. I've even seen a SSCUP (Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party) deliver on my travels. But nowhere have I actually run across a Labour team, or individual actually in real time on the street. Well they have three days yet to make an appearance in my campaign, so I'll let you know on Friday.

I have however pretty much now done the compass points of the Glenrothes constituency. In the north Collydean, to the east Buckhaven and Leven, to the south Kirkcaldy North, looking across the road to Gordon Brown's constituency, and to the west Lochgelly. Though I didn't quite identify the grassy knoll green from where the threat of Sarah Brown's protection detail was aimed at the fourth estate when I travelled through Cardenden en route to Lochgelly.

SNP Encouraging Gambling for Own Vanity

They may be trying to sort out Scotland's drink culture on one hand. However, on the other the SNP are actively encouraging first timers to take up gambling in a vanity exercise ahead of next Thursday's Glenrothes by election.

You see the SNP have slipped behind Labour as the bookies favourites. Bookies of course are more concerned about losing money than getting the prediction right, one only has to look at the last Westminster by election in Fife, when even as polls closed Labour were favourites with the bookies. Whoops, but ta. No the SNP have actually sent out emails to supporters asking them to "place a tenner" on the result, essential they say because Labour supporters around the country are placing bets to make their party appear to be favourites. One email says:

"If you have no previous experience of going into a betting shop then don't
worry - they are most helpful. The young woman who placed this bet had never
ever been in a betting shop in her life before and just went up to the desk and
asked for help."

So clearly the SNP only care about the welfare of Scottish citizens when it doesn't impinge upon their own vanity. It also must be show some concern they have over their message, they tried similarly in Dunfermline and West Fife to say on the day of polling that they were the favourites to overtake Labour. They always want to appear to be the big boys (and girls) at Westminster times when of course they only have 7 MPs or 1.08% of the House of Commons.

Markinch Cries "Let What Train Take the Strain?"

One of Liberal Democrat candidate Harry Wills' campaigns in the Glenrothes by election has been about the unfair fares that the people of Fife face on the train. They pay greater fares that the people of Perth pay to get to Edinburgh for example.

However, the people of Markinch now face greater unfairness as their 9:04 train into Edinburgh looks set to disappear off the winter timetable. This would leave a 98 minute gap between trains at 8.31am and 10.09am a busy commuting time of the morning. With a greater number of people working flexible hours the removal of a 9:04 service may well disadvantage parents who drop their children to school before catching the 9:04 catching a later or earlier train may not be convenient to everyone.

If the removal of this service is made it looks set to see an increase of road usage to make up for its loss. Not a great move to the environment and climate change.

Homesick Candidate Yearning for Fife Already

Oh dear, the people of Glenrothes should they elect Peter Grant the SNP candidate may think they are investing in a young man with a long future at Westminster.

Well not according to the man himself:

"I don't want to spend any more time down there than I have to. I would be
homesick after more than that."

Well, he also show reluctance to actually head to Westminster in the first place:

Speaking on a campaign stop in Glenrothes' Kingdom shopping centre, Mr Grant
indicated he was reluctant to leave Fife and go to London, but said he would do
so to serve his constituents.

Well should the people of Glenrothes elect the SNP candidate next Thursday and then Scotland doesn't vote for independence in 2010 (the vote on which Mr Grant in pinning his short term Westminster hopes) judging by what he says the people of Glenrothes will be facing another by election for the Westminster seat during the next Parliament.

If they think "It's Time" well it is likely to be a short time.

hat tip to Andrew Reeves

What MacNumpty Wants with a Zig-a-Zig Ah

J. Arthur MacNumpty feels that the Lib Dem Blogosphere has been exclusively attacking the SNP during the Glenrothes by election. As I said in his comments I feel this may be in part saying something about the state of the Labour Campaign. The lack of much real Labour blogging about the campaign, which therefore leads to less needing to counter attack than say the SNP postings. Also the lack of much real presence of Labour out on the street while I've been up there.

That was until recently when as Richard Thomson so eloquently puts it Mr and Mrs Macauley came a calling.

I hope that these recent postings have given Mr MacNumpty a little of what he really, really wants.

Throwing Out the Baby with the Fuel Petition

The other day I did ask 'who is charge of the Labour machine up there in Glenrothes?'. Well in charge of the press operation whether corralled or held back at gunpoint, step forward press officer Kenny Young. He's pictured to the left on his own election communication for 2007. Yes that is one full side he's used up, it's not a folded sheet.

By the way he is the larger of the two humans pictures as we haven't cut the age for candidates quite that much yet. cute eh? What do you think it conveys?

Well a quick scan of his online biographies, pen pictures or interviews fails to turn up any mention of fatherhood for the young man. Now if you were a young father supporting a child you'd think it would be the sort of thing you'd like the electorate to know about. Yet holding a baby on his election literature appears to be the only sign of any sort of allusion to such a state of affairs.



Indeed if his literature had mentioned childcare anywhere on it you might well have excused the gratuitous, cliche ridden use of a baby, admittedly not being kissed. Sadly not a hint or whiff of anything along those lines was seen anywhere near this particular communication. Indeed the wee mite is a long way off paying much tax of any type you'd expect.

Now I may be being cynical about the above picture, but if like me you'd seen it against some of those that Labour have used in this campaign you may share my scepticism.


I have already mentioned The Fifer a Labour production that is hitting the doorsteps of Glenrothes. Well there is one picture in there that appear Picasso-esque in it's sense of angles and perspective. Sadly when I tried to scan it in it emerged rather too dark.

But in this picture we have two women at a petrol pump filling up their car. One women has a blue pic biro in hand and is signing the petition again fuel prices being held by Lindsay Roy the Labour candidate. nothing wrong with the picture in words so far.


Well the petition is being held perpendicular to the ground, yet the woman is still going ahead and signing it. She is also doing this over the right hand of Lindsay Roy who is holding it at a rather odd angle for such a task. It may be because Mr Roy is not looking anywhere near either of the women in the picture. The rather gormless impression of a fish on his face also looks suspiciously like a mirror image of a similar picture elsewhere on the leaflet. He also appears to have managed to thrust the clipboard beyond the reflection of the name of the petition in the car's paint work to almost over the pump, while standing behind the vehicle.

It is either the most contrived set piece picture I have even seen trying to reflect a piece of actuality, or the worse case of photo-shopping. But an image is said to speak a thousand words even if those thousand words aren't quite what is the case.

Was I Closest to Breaking Gordon's Labour Bubble?

Hat tip to Jess the Dog for this excellent photo montage of Gordon Brown's extent into the campaign at Glenrothes. This map below shows just where Gordon was.



And where was I?

See all those houses just to the north of the industrial estate that Gordon was esconsed in. Well the majority of that area but indeed all the southern section of Woodside was covered by yours truly. Seeing as I approached the house closest to Labour HQ (as the birds fly) just after the residents pulled out in their car, I may well have been the closest non-Labour voter, not hurtling around in a car at the time that Gordon was in town.

Now That's What I Call Local

John Swinney the SNP Finance Minister has finally announced plans for a Local Income Tax, letting the local authorities set their rates rather than controlling it all from his Edinburgh office. After my ranting on Friday about the Nats not respecting local authorities, this is welcome news. Some are accusing Swinney of making a U-Turn but he is merely realising the problems he created for himself by lifting the core of the Lib Dem idea without many of the more thoroughly worked out difficulties and subtleties.

He is also considering sensible options to exempt students from paying LIT and to make sure it is paid on investment income as well. There has long been a dichotomy about those who are super rich and live off investments contributing regularly to the national taxation bracket. The super rich of course have their team of accountants ensuring they pay the least tax possible, tending towards zero.

Labour of course are up in arms, they don't want fairness in local taxation. You only have to look at their moan in The Fifer a tabloid they have put out in Glenrothes for the by election. They take a household with four earners and complain about the fact that this family will have to pay more for local services. They ignore the fact that in the same street, paying only 25% less Council Tax is the single mum who works her guts out to cope with raising her family.

There is also the young couple who both earn but at a lower rate than the heads of the family in Labour's literature who pay exactly the same Council Tax as the four earners that Labour are moaning about. But of course that is taking a far higher proportion out of their salaries than the four people up the street. The family of four's tax bill is not going to double, as all four of them will have their tax threshold of course, but Labour who are starting to sees flaws in council tax are upset that others have found a fairer system before them and Andy Kerr will do anything to run it down.

Gordon Brown Rain God

So Gordon Brown finally arrives in Glenrothes yesterday and brings doom and gloom with him, that is just the weather*. Apparently he was also spotted with that must have accessory this season his armed secret service detail. Sadly my informant couldn't get close enough to see if they were double-0s and therefore licenced to use deadly force.

So what does the Prime Minster, defending a majority of 13,507 in the constituency do. Only two thirds of the work of his wife earlier in the week, that's what. Yes Gordon met a whole 6 voters, all Labour supporters. Seeing as he also met them in the cafe next to Labour HQ he did even less work that his wife who actually had to walk to her nine Labour supporters front doors in Cardenden.

So the Brown family input to this election so far is to have talked to 15 people who are already firmly in the Labour columns on canvass returns. Wow, no wonder the new Scottish Secretary is claiming that Labour are underdogs if this by election if this is the sort of workload that the Labour campaign machine can manage out of their big hitters.

One does wonder just who is charge of the Labour machine up there in Glenrothes.

*This blogger spent 4 hours out in that rain. But personally delivered about 800 leaflets in that time.

The Empty Handed Promises of 'God' to Kingdom Voter

"I've shaken the hand of God," was the ironic shout of one Glenrothes supporter yesterday. As The Ego that is the First Minister appeared temporarily to be uplifted to deity. For later Edward Houston explained his acclamation of meeting divinity by saying to waiting journalists:

"I won't be voting for the SNP - everything they say is a promise but it will
never happen."

For yesterday was the day that both Salmond and Brown, that's Sarah not Gordon, hit the campaign trail in the Kingdom of Fife.

Sarah was shepherded into a very heavily pebble-dashed, Labour supporting street in Cardenden to do a hard day's work on a whole nine doorsteps. The people of Glenrothes will be spared Mrs Moira Salmond coming to their door though. The First Minister confessed when asked that, "Moira takes the view that one deity politician in the family is more than enough."

Brain is Bleathering About By Election

I see the BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor is blethering away on his blog about the Glenrothes By election as nominations close today. He's saying it doesn't look to rosy for the Nats as he points out some crucial differences between Glenrothes and Glasgow East.

He highlights three issues that the SNP have to overcome:

1. The outlying districts which historically are stronger Labour, or even Communist, leaning than the new town itself where Nats report some warming to there message (even if they can't always raise a hello).

2. The Lib Dem vote and presence in Fife which is stronger than Glasgow East.

3. The current upswing in the image of Gordon Brown.

Alex Salmond and his Nats are hoping for Brown's halo to slip just a little before polling day. Indeed Alex is doing all the can to dislodge it after seeing the shine of his own "halo" be somewhat dimmed in recent weeks by additional ambient light.

Well we have 16 days to go in Glenrothes. My feet and fingers can hardly wait.

Two Types of Campaigner

One thing I do like about by election campaigning that takes me out of my own territory is that you get to see the real style of other party's campaigners. Within the confines of West Lothian where I am a known face and each of the other parties activists are also known faces everyone is generally nice when you bump into each other.

However, on Saturday it was the tale of two very different groups from the same party in the space of a little over an hour. First off out in the Macedonia area of Glenrothes in the confusion of some rather confusing street numbering amongst the hedges just off the Roxburgh Road we bumped into a rather decent quartet who were friendly enough just to acknowledge us and our presence and the weather.

However, moving down to the Caskieberran area I came across a rather different story. Turning the corner at the foot of Ivanhoe Drive I met five SNP deliverers. I jokingly said, "Come on this ain't fair five against one." As my delivery partners George Lyon and his daughter where in neighbouring streets. After finding out I was a Lib Dem campaigner one of them shouted back at me, "Can I get your autograph, I've never seen a Lib Dem." Before going on about how he'd never met Tavish Scott etc.

Shame really that this obnoxious campaigner obviously doesn't do a lot of campaigning. Must have been his first time anywhere near an election or a count, or a hustings probably. However, I have meet some Nats. Once was greeted by name on the Dunfermline canvass trail by the Education Minister while Douglas Chapman greeted Willie Rennie. I'm also fortunate to have meet through campaigning locally many of Alex Salmond's old school friends and I know what some of them think of him, it's not all good for him.

However, I never would knock another campaigner while out delivering, canvassing, hanging from adjacent lamp posts or wherever. Shame that not everyone is of the same frame of mind, heaven knows what mood they would have been in if it had been raining.

The Ego's Challenge to Tim'rous Beastie

Last May the ballot papers for Scotland listed one party as Alex Salmond's Scottish National Party. Well now that Ego has challenged the politician formerly known as the Tim'rous Beastie to a debate in the Glenrothes constituency.

Now I know as well as the next person that by elections are often seen as a snap shot of opinion on the government of the day, even more so when the government is defending the seat. But our system of democracy does not elect a Prime or First Minister directly and a by election is about the people selecting their representative in whatever place that governance is to take place. Therefore any debate should be about the people actually seeking the job. After all you would expect your union shop steward to go a take a job interview for you.

Also bear in mind that for this by election to Westminster it is the leader of the fifth largest party there (yes even Peter Robinson has more MPs than Alex) challenging the leader of the majority party to a debate. It shows that the Ego really is showing a continued lack of respect to the democratic principles of the country. He's slipping major issues through Parliament without consultation with MSPs, He's taking powers away from local authorities and now is taken the most bolden of steps in turning the grey area of personality politics from the shadows into the limelight.

Leave the hustings to the candidates Alex. Or does he know that Peter Grant is not the best candidate for the people of Glenrothes?

The Truth, The Half Truth, The Spun Nationalist Part

I was out delivering in Cowley Street yesterday. No not the Westminster one, this one is in Buckhaven, Fife and part of the Glenrothes constituency. But yes Lib Dem friends it did have number 4 and they did get the Lib Dem message of Harry Wills posted through their letter box.

However, I just loved the timing of the SNP postcard and its message that was going out over the weekend.

What the SNP tell you:

We have frozen Council Tax.

What they failed to mention:

At the same time we are asking you local council to do more and more. Provide access to a full time nursery teacher for all nursery child. Provide free school meals to every child in primaries 1-3. We've also appointed Ebenezer Swinney in charge of Holyrood's budget and he's not going to give you sufficient additional funding to pay for all this if any.
What the SNP tell you:

We will axe the council tax altogether.

What they fail to mention:

They want to do away with a local councils ability to raise their own finances, replacing it with a National Income Tax. They want to centralise all power at the centre, in their case Holyrood, in ways that surpass anything birthday girl Baroness Thatcher or NuLabour would have dreamed of. They want more power for Scotland but they don't want your council to maintain the power's it has had to best serve you on the ground for key local services.

Considering that just before the weekend COSLA was meeting due to the majority of councils realising that the concordat they were suckered into is being stretched beyond all limits by additional spending powers being heaped upon them by the Scottish Government, the timing of these messages must backfire. People will be seeing just that the Nats are saying, know exactly just what it ends up doing and doesn't lead to a lot of trust in what they will end up promising over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile on the Labour side as I navigated the Forth, Clyde, Tay, Tweed and Don and surrounding streets I did see my first signs, a handful admittedly, of Labour support. But just how can Lindsay Roy be a new voice for Buckhaven or Fife? Surely he is only a different person declaring the same tired, old, increasingly redundant Labour message? It's like John McCain advocating change hardly a new voice, just a different one singing from the same stained hymn sheet.

SNP Candidate and Free Meal Delusion

Peter Grant the SNP candidate for the Glenrothes by election who was/is leader of the SNP group on SNP-led Fife council is contradicting the council's director of finance and resources, Barrie Lawrie, on the possibility of delivering free school meals to primary 1-3 pupils across the county.

While Mr Lawrie says "the current budget does not include costs associated with the introduction of free school meals", Mr Grant stoically is saying that the policy will be delivered. How? With what money? Is this just a candidate toeing the party line while seeking election at a time when many councils including many with the SNP involved in the leadership are saying that the Parliament's policy cannot be delivered under the current terms of the concordat.

Is Mr Grant already prepared to lie to the electorate of Glenrothes about just what is achievable? If he's doing it now how much more is he prepared to deceive should he be elected?

Also unearthed this interesting blog which suggests that bookies are also started to lose faith in the SNP in this one.

Gunpowder, Treason or Plot

Well my post yesterday about plot, some would say Tory treason to the Union has certainly lit the touchpaper on a gunpowder keg prior to events on the 6th of November in Glenrothes.

The fact that a normally confident Scottish Tory Boy starts of the comments thread in the vain hope that it was rumour rather than truth. Then the CyberNats got going with a whole range of deflection and distraction tactics and quite plan stupid comments:

"Voting for Harry Wills will not get him elected "

Of course that depends just how many people do vote for Harry Wills and is a ridiculous statement for anyone to make as only voting for somebody could get them elected.

Of course someone was so clearly flustered that despite our candidate being named in the piece they mixed him up with the Tory, not once but twice before later saying that if the Tories were becoming the Scottish Conservative and Nationalist party they were being pragmatic and proactive but failed to mentioned two faced, a farce and not standing for what they believe in.

One even said the Lib Dems should distance themselves from Labour, while at the same time happily sidling up to the Tories (what double standards), which we clearly have been with our recent tax proposals, our interventions and warning months ago of impending financial issues and a clarity in how to handle it. Then decided to turn his attention to voting records of which only one candidate has one. As for the parties the Tories side with Labour a lot of the time in Westminster and the SNP most of the time in Holyrood, clearly unsure which way they'll turn of for that matter how a Nat would turn at Westminster, if elected.

However, Jess the Dog did come up with one interesting statement that needs investigating further:

"Seems to me that the only beneficiary of such a pact would be the Conservatives,
who could claim to be participants in a Machiavellian ploy rather than simply
no-hopers in Glenrothes."

Well what of the benefits for the newly rebranded Scottish Conservative and Nationalist Party what would they gain from such whispering in Westminster between Angus Robertson and David Mundell. Especially as they didn't deem it necessary for this plot to take place in the vaults of the Palace. Jeff went so far as to say it was naivety of me with almost 20 more years of political activism than him to think that with 4 weeks to go and such revelations that this was now anything other than a 2 horse race. Sorry Jeff but I have seen elections turn on less, with less time available than this in that time, far from naivety I call that knowledge of what can be achieved.

It is all just a matter of a few things. What is at the heart of such an agreement between 'such strange bedfellowes'? What lies beneath this unlikely pact? Plus getting that message out to the people who matter namely the voters who decide the fate of the Glenrothes seat in the Houses of Parliament.

Therein lies a mystery, or does it....

It may well be that like some sort of Martin Bell-like figure Harry Wills comes through as a candidate with his own clear (party) platform not shrouded in murk and intrigue of politicking and plot.