At midnight last night, the voting closed on my – our – 14 day long bid to make me your independent MEP for the South West.
We made it to second place on the ballot, with some 460 votes (in the fury of urgent texting I forgot the actual number, but will find out on Monday), but were, despite being 20+ in the lead during the day, were eventually pipped at the post by ~20 votes.
I need to work out whether it makes sense to continue (there’s some weirdness in the electoral structure and the effects of proportional representation). I shall keep you informed, of course.
For now I can’t put my thoughts of the experience any better than this:
The [..] freshness of the world-to-be intoxicated us.
We were wrought up in ideas inexpressible and vaporous, but to be fought for. We lived many lives in those whirling campaigns, never sparing ourselves: yet when we achieved and the new world dawned, the old men came out again and took our victory to re-make in the likeness of the former world they knew.
Youth could win, but had not learned to keep: and was pitiably weak against age.
We stammered that we had worked for a new heaven and a new earth, and they thanked us kindly and made their peace.
T.E.Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom
There are lots of thank yous to be said. From the 460ish who voted, to the people who helped spread the word, especially on the last day, when about 200 votes were added, I thank you all.
Super special thanks to a few special people – you know who you are, and there are so many that it would be unfair to pick out names here – who read and advised on ideas (sometimes over many years), proofread, inspired, believed, and motivated. Oh, and asked me to read T.E.Lawrence. You are all splendid people, to whom I am deeply indebted. Thank you so much for your help and support.
Let’s see what’s next.
Systems analyst and designer, strategist, writer, campaigner, provocateur, permaculturist, web developer, and occasional TV farmer and sheep wrangler. 