Experience told last night as established Scottish parliamentarians dominated procedings at the Spurtle hustings for Edinburgh Northern and Leith.
Around 100 members of the public gathered to gauge 8 candidates' answers on questions about: 'privatisation' of the NHS; the future for tuition fees north and south of the border; disillusion with party politics; support for academic staff striking against pension cuts; Scotland's 'right' to North Sea oil revenues; and library closures. Perhaps inevitably – and on Budget Day in Westminster – all roads led to public finance.
Former MSPs Malcolm Chisholm (Labour), Margo MacDonald (Independent) and Shirley-Anne Somerville (SNP) gave polished performances and showed a command of detail on various topics. By casually dropping-in references to areas of mutual agreement and joint working, they also fostered an aura of professional competence which – as it was surely meant to – rather eclipsed the competition.
Maggie Chapman (Scottish Green) was articulate and well-briefed, showing glimpses of passionate conviction. Scott Douglas (Conservative) was articulate, confident, personable, and vague.
David Jacobsen (Socialist Labour) and Willie Black (Solidarity) were thoughtfully and usefully awkward. They focused the world through socialist lenses, repeatedly identified the problem, but then offered little in the way of issue by issue solutions.
Dan Farthing (Liberal-Democrat) had an uncomfortable introduction to Scottish Parliamentary hustings. With no ally on the podium and no party stooge offering moral support from the audience, he cut a lonely if likeable figure, and struggled to answer some questions.
Local media showed a welcome interest: the Edinburgh Reporter and Guardian Edinburgh combined to live-blog, STV Local tweeted and later reported, and Leith FM recorded. A bewildering swarm of social networkers tweeted from within and outwith the meeting, offering comment, questions, advice, and occasional pleas for help on the etiquette of electronic booing.
For the Spurtle, Jaundiced of Claremont sank his teeth into a pew on the back row and will submit impressions in Issue 193 (April). If you attended and would like to share your thoughts with the world, please let us know.