This is it folks. Ballot papers are finally here. I'm really looking forward to this election and hope that you can seriously consider me for your first preference vote.
If you need to speak to me you are more than welcome to. You can either comment on this blog or you can use either my Twitter account @greensoulscot or my Facebook Page at Stephen Dickson - Passionate, Committed, Green
As you can see in my bio and statement I do not have specific political experience, I am not a career politician, but my working life has given me more than a good grounding for a life in Holyrood. I have learned a lot in my time in the party especially as Vice Convenor of Ayrshire Greens and as a member of Standing Orders Committee.
If I could quote part of my 2 minute speech for the hustings:
"I’m looking for you to seriously consider me for your first preference vote. I fully appreciate we have many wonderful candidates here but I would ask that you give me significant deliberation as your lead.
Two minutes is not a long time for you to get to know me so I would just like to say that my basic background is contained within your voting booklet and that I am more than willing to have a chat at anytime with any of you either through my blog mentioned in the booklet or through my Facebook page which you can link to through the blog.
In the short time available to me I’d actually like to introduce you to my mother. Yes my mother.
I’d like to introduce you to Florence and to tell you about what she taught me.
Some of the lessons they give you that actually stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.
Throughout my different careers in banking, pub management, postal delivery and policing, the one that has served me best is :
You have two eyes, two ears and one mouth. Use them in proportion.
I firmly believe that we must re-establish public trust in our politicians and that this piece of advice is clearly missing from many of our present crop of politicians.
We need to prove to the electorate that we are different. We need to prove that we will use them in the correct proportions and actually listen to and represent them. We need to take our campaign to a far wider audience than we do now. We absolutely do things differently and we need to tell people that but ONLY AFTER listening to what they want and need from us.
It is essential that we build strong local teams with capacity to gain local votes and to make us unshiftable. I can absolutely assure you that I would work very hard and very closely with the branches of South Scotland to do that.The polls are very generous for us at the moment and are showing that we will get at least one, possibly two MSP’s in this Region. South Scotland is a huge area and it would be my suggestion that it would be sensible for us to consider having candidates at the opposite sides of the country.
With this in mind I would again ask that you would consider giving me your first preference vote so as I can represent yourselves on the west side of the country. Please give me your first preference vote because I want to be the first genuinely participatory MSP and I want to bring your voices to Holyrood in a truly co-operative way.
If being radical is caring about others . . . . . . . . . . . . . I’m guilty as charged!!!!"
I truly believe in the Scottish Green cause and I would genuinely see representing the South Scotland Region as an honour and a privilege and I would promise to fight very hard for the rights of all the people who live here.
May I also say good luck to all my fellow nominees. I have met many great people whilst going to different parts of South Scotland and I must say my fellow candidates sure don't feel like opposition, they feel like family.
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