Apparently the turn out in Hutton for the election was nearly 73%; well above the national average representing about 130 people the majority of whom do not live in Urban Hutton (the dwellings within the 30 mph limit) but in Greater Hutton in the farming community and the former farm cottages. Not bad considering the lack of any visible evidence that a general election campaign was in full swing. Huttonian is told that the only candidate who put in an appearance in the village was the Labour candidate who knocked on a door or two-not the Old Manse as far as I know. It did not do him much good as he polled about half of the Lib Dem( and Tory) vote. It is said that most of the farmers vote Tory and the townsfolk Lib Dem-yet the SNP candidate is a farmer's wife. I suspect most ot the (7,000 plus) Labour support came from the bigger towns of Galashiels and Selkirk with the SNP drawing some votes from there and the rather aggressively nationalist Coldstream.
Next door in Berwick the Lib Dem long sitting incumbent actually increased his majority, albiet fractionally. Vox Pop in the shape of a local taxi driver felt that Mr B had been around too long and it was time for a change. I asked him if he had voted for Mr B and he said 'yes'! 'Habit I suppose' he added. Mr B is not very visible locally unlike the Berwickshire MSP Euan Robson or the former Lib Dem Sir A Kirkwood. If he keeps on getting whacking great majorities for doing and saying little he might emulate the famous Capt. LPS Orr of South Down. He, in the days of a sole Unionist party in Norn Iron sat for 40 years in the Commons, never spoke (was known as the 'silent member') and effortlessly turned in majorities of 45,000 plus. He issued the same election call to arms every 4 years : '
Ulster is Right, Remember the Boyne, Derry's Walls, Not an Inch, No Surrender. God Save the Queen. Vote Unionist' And they did. Sigh on Mr Trimble.
