The lot of an independent candidate is not an easy one.
For Andrew Russell, it has meant clocking up miles along the streets of Ayr North, delivering around 8,000 leaflets to homes and attempting to persuade locals that an independent voice is better than that of the political parties.
While the candidates for the main political parties can call upon significant resources, in the form of campaign materials, volunteers and voter data, independents like Andrew must take to the streets in a more traditional way.
One of the first things the former Merchant Navyman relays is his thanks to the people he has spoken to, and his belief that the number of first-time independent candidates could herald a shift from voting along party lines.
“I have to thank all the people who I talked to en route for their kind words and encouragement,” he said ahead of the South Ayrshire Council elections on Thursday, May 5.
“It seems that we new Independent candidates have given them some hope that a change in the administration is on the horizon and we can put the last five years behind us.”
A well-known campaigner, Andrew has actively railed against the likes of the new Ayr Leisure Centre, the demolition of the High Flats and even the location of a all-weather sports pitch in Girvan.
Mr Russell suggested it was telling that the projects that had been pursued by the council administration were absent from much of the other parties’ campaign material.
He said “We should be the riviera of the south west of Scotland; the centre for tourism, culture, heritage, leisure and small to medium sized businesses centred on our port, airport and ferry routes to Ireland."
As part of the SeeAyr group, Mr Russell promotes the proposals for a leisure regeneration project in Newton.
He also backs the development of housing in the town centre, on the site earmarked for the leisure centre, saying it would bring ‘real footfall’.
Continuing, he added: “From that should spring up circuits of small traders with affordable rates, window shopping, evening venues and along with making use of our river to create an excitement we’ve all been missing for a long time.”
He also called for annual or bi-annual efforts to clean up council estates and help with ‘environmental issues’.
He said: “It is obvious to me that some people for various reasons like transport, ill health, income and so on can’t cope when these matters pile up on each other.
“Despair sets in all around; inappropriate rubbish is not recycled to the correct bins, bin lids are all too easily opened or fall over in the wind, communal bins are not able to be assigned to the exclusive use of a household.
“Therefore, I believe the authority can at least make a driver and van available and possibly with an army of volunteers, me included, tidy up all the scattered litter that is plaguing our neighbourhoods.”
While Mr Russell is pushing a number of ideas, he says that ultimately there should be ‘serious debate’ about all of these issues.
Also standing in Ayr North is Laura Whitefield-Brennan (SNP), Ian Cavana (LAB), Ian Davis (CON), Mark Dixon (SNP), Mason Graham (LD), David Paterson (CON), and Denise Sommerville (ALBA).
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