I mentioned before the shadow of the election being cast on the peaceful Merse despite no date being announced for the hustings. Today's usual package of junk mail included a letter from the Tory Candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 'Fighting to make the Borders Better' is his slogan-rather an aggressive war cry for a peaceful looking gent. As a result of a questionnaire he sent out some weeks ago (Huttonian filled it in) he has now identified the main concerns and issues of local people: inadequate transport links-poor state of roads. Lack of NHS dentists, the closing of cottage hospitals (40 closed across Scotland since 1997) being the main problems -dealing with which he is 'already active'. He also mentions proliferation of wind farms, future of local schools and 'the desperate need for affordable housing' .The only international topic raised with him was the issue of European integration, but what aspects are not revealed which is surprising in a predominantly rural community.
For the immediate neighbourhood I suspect the battle to save the local school will be decided one way or the other by the time of the election. Local roads are a matter for concern-pot holes and collapsed edges are of Third World proportions and are only patched up after a big fuss is made over a long period. All good business for Kwikfit in Berwick. I don't think that we here are too bothered about wind farms but then they don't dominate our horizons-low flying aircraft are more of a nuisance ' A Tory Government will make Low Flying Aircraft Fly Higher' Now theres a slogan for you. I won't go into affordable housing in case I am accused of hobbyhorsing -an issue very close to home even if it is being persued in certain quarters for reasons not necessarily too closely connected with the welfare of
local local people.
Promises, promises and a lot more to come, you can be sure. And only two parties have shown their hand so far. Thankgood ness Huttonian will be away in very foreign parts for most of April.
