A Beggars Manifesto For The Local Elections

Many people in Leith know me, (or at least will recognise me), as one of Edinburgh's many beggars and may be surprised that I am standing for election as a councillor for Leith on May 3rd. We in the Liberal Party, along with many others, believe that the biggest single problem in politics today is that well over 40% of the voting population never take part in the political process. When I talk to ordinary people on the street, the common refrain is that politics is solely for the rich and people with vested interests. By standing as the Liberal Party candidate, I am making a statement: "Politics is for everyone, the only reason vested interests wins out, is because ordinary people volunteer to disenfranchise themselves."

Use your vote, Don't lose it.

Okay that is my reason for standing, why should you vote for me? Like all the candidates, I could say that I am a good listener and am not afraid to stand up and fight for what is right and this would be true. So, what is unique about me, what sets me apart from the other candidates? I have spent many years travelling in Africa, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, supporting myself as a street entertainer and trader. When I eventually returned full-time to Edinburgh, I had some very definite ideas about starting a small business, only to find myself stymied by the uniquely British manner of regulation and bureaucracy. If you have an established business, (or the resources to develop a clearly defined business model), things might(?) be different. However for me, someone with very limited resources, I found that the manner in which permits, regulations and fees were set up, not only favoured established players. It was financially impractical for me to do the experiments and gain the practical experience needed, to develop a fully fledged and viable business. These are the basic experiments and experience that anyone would expect to do, before risking what little resources they had.

As I say, I have travelled and worked in many countries, it does not have to be this way. There are better ways. We in the Liberal Party, believe in finding local solutions to the problems facing our country and as Councillor for Leith, I would use my experience and knowledge to the advantage of Leith.

www.leithliberals.org Support the Liberal Party in Scotland

First Choice:

Irvine McMinn on 3rd May 2012

We are NOT the LibDems!

Printed, published and promoted by John Hein on behalf of The Liberal Party In Scotland both at 78 Montgomery Street, Edinburgh EH7 5JA.