Fight for your right Party
It is not just the big four political parties that are standing for seats in Scotland on 5 May. A number of smaller parties are vying for votes at the General Election too. The usual candidates are leafleting, billposting and canvassing - The Greens, The Socialists, the BNP and the likes, all hopeful of swaying a vote or two.
However, there are other, ambitious new comers to the political scene, hoping to drive their message home too. Perhaps the most noticeable of these political parties is the Publican Party.
Founded by publicans campaigning against the smoking ban, the party already has the backing of a number of large brewers and pub chains.
The party’s mission is to “uphold the democratic will of the Scottish people as expressed in the 2004 Scottish Executive Public Survey in which 82 per cent of people were shown to be against the proposed smoke ban being applied to pubs and therefore, according to their wishes, to repeal that part of the law and replace it with a requirement for publicans to install – with the aid of a 50 per cent government grant – appropriate levels of ventilation so that all carcinogenics are dispersed from the air.”
There are approximately 120 publicans throughout Scotland who have signed a declaration of intent to stand as a candidate at their respective constituency. It is the Publican Party’s intention to have a minimum of three candidates in all 73 Scottish constituencies.
The party is contesting one seat in the forthcoming general election – the marginal seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
The party decided eight weeks ago to contest it as a dress rehearsal for the Scottish elections. However it has now turned into a high-risk strategy, for the whole of Scotland will be watching for the result. The party has to do well in order to achieve a mandate to go forward with.
With that in mind, The Drum asked a handful of Scottish agencies to suggest a suitable campaign for the Publican Party. Here, we showcase some of the best entries that were submitted.