Cast your minds back to last year, when anyone travelling ulong Corstorphine Road, one of the main routes into Edinburgh, passed two offices with enormous portraits in them. In one, Alex Cole-Hamilton told people that only he could beat the SNP (and he was right). In the other, a giant image of the First Minister took centre stage.
A year on, and on Friday night, Edinburgh West members selected journalist, former special adviser and LDV contributor Christine Jardine to be their candidate in the General Election. Chosen from a 3-strong all women-shortlist, Christine has a proven record of being a fantastic communicator and campaigner.
Yesterday, her team moved into their new campaign office – the old SNP campaign hub, which is now in Lib Dem hands.
Their first job was to do some Spring cleaning:
The banner comes down on the former SNP Edinburgh West campaign HQ, as LibDems take over. Vote Christine Jardine #GE2017 . #LibDemFightBack pic.twitter.com/dFTZdhQhod
— Martin Veart (@Martin_Veart) April 29, 2017
@scotlibdems took occupation of the former SNP office today. We take back rest of Edinburgh West on June 9 pic.twitter.com/zYf8mt7O6z
— christine jardine (@Cajardine) April 29, 2017
It's official! We've set up #GE2017 campaign HQ in the old @theSNP office in Corstorphine, felt great to peel the FM's photo off the window! pic.twitter.com/A4qJqOCwKR
— Alex Cole-Hamilton (@agcolehamilton) April 29, 2017
Any resemblance between the Nicola poster and Theresa May’s “strong stable leadership” narrative is, of course, entirely coincidental. The SNP and the Tories take a lot out of each others’ playbooks these days.
The Edinburgh West team have not stopped campaigning since the 2015 General Election. It is to be hoped that Thursday’s council elections return several Lib Dem councillors to the City Chambers, including Alex’s best friend and campaign manager Kevin Lang. He is standing in the Almond ward, one of the only ones where we are fielding two candidates. The decision was taken to do so only a few weeks ago, with Kevin’s sister Louise now standing with him. Louise was a councillor between 2007-12 and we are hopeful that they will both be elected on Thursday.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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2 Comments
Do the LibDems in Scotland have a very similar platform to the SNP? Sure I con understand they are for Remain and Social Justice, but what about independence?
Delighted to see Christine Jardine selected on Friday evening as our candidate to regain the Edinburgh West seat, first won 20 year ago today, when I was the election agent to Donald Gorrie and the seat was finally won from the Conservatives after many years of hard campaigning.
20 years on, I am still up the ladders in the photos removing the sign and discussing tactics with the Aldridge brothers and Corstorphine council candidate Gillian Gloyer.
Having attended the hustings, where members had the choice from an all women short-list, there was no doubt to me (and many others), that Christine would have beaten any of the possible male candidates who might have put their names forward.
Similar feedback has come from other recent selections, showing that when there are good female candidates there is no need to restrict the selection to women only, as they will win the selection regardless.