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On the road

• Brian Taylor
• 8 Apr 07, 04:32 PM

It鈥檚 Easter weekend, it鈥檚 warm and sunny where I am and Dundee United just beat Aberdeen 4-2 (Nice one, lads)! So what else is there to do but top up the election blog?

Well, of course, the political leaders have been out scouring for every votes - in every part of the country. The first minister has embarked on a wide-ranging tour of Scottish constituencies. Every other party is similarly hitting the road.

Why so geographically diverse? Why not just focus on key marginals? Why spread yourselves so thinly?

Every vote counts, that鈥檚 why.

That isn鈥檛 just a political platitude to rank alongside 鈥渢he only poll that matters is on election day鈥� and 鈥淚 have every confidence in my leader鈥�. This one鈥檚 true.

Scotland鈥檚 top-up list system means that every vote, quite literally, counts. Think you鈥檙e in a safe seat - where a primate could win, wearing the right party affiliation? Think again. You鈥檙e also part of a much wider region - and your list vote could be the difference between victory and defeat for a regional candidate.

This time, the second shall be first. The ballot paper鈥檚 been redrawn to put the two Holyrood votes together: list vote on the left - visually first. The constituency vote is on the right.

That鈥檚 why you鈥檙e seeing parties who look for seats primarily or solely on the list talking about 鈥淔irst Vote my party..."

But the majors are taking the list very seriously too. The SNP frankly neglected this aspect in 2003 - and slumped badly as the vote spread to a rainbow of Red and Green. This time they鈥檙e billing that regional vote as the chance to choose a first minister.

Rather naughty - and it鈥檚 annoyed some rivals. Strictly, the regional vote 鈥渃orrects鈥� any imbalance from the constituency vote. But it indicates the huge importance attached to this regional contest.

As I write, I鈥檓 glancing at a leaflet from the Tories in my patch. It says they鈥檙e out for more constituency seats - but frankly acknowledges that they get most of their MSPs from the list. In essence, it鈥檚 a plea for folk to split the ticket if they can鈥檛 vote Tory throughout.

LibDems, too, have thoroughly grasped the concept of list canvassing. They鈥檒l be out in all areas, not just the constituency seats they hold.

Finally, let me add: Daly, Hunt and Cameron (2). The United goalscorers. Oh, come on, after the past few seasons, I鈥檓 allowed to gloat.

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