I'm kicking-off today's Wed-Head with a single (but significant) paragraph of Plantation News, viz: The Inverness-based TPOs (see the second half of 22nd September's Wed-Head <https://DraytonMark.SubStack.com/p/wed-head-xxvi-pt1>) continue to try to revive the abeyant PCA, in straightforward defiance of my oft-repeated calls for a fresh start with an entirely new organisation - not to mention a proper enquiry into possibly negligent or even potentially malfeasant advice given to the old one, which will never be exposed otherwise. Whether or not you agree with me about that, you can find out more about Inverness's current plans at a public meeting in eight days time (7pm, Thursday 18th November) being held at the Salvation Army Hall next to M&S Dental Care at the northern side of Fort William leisure centre (ie closest to the swimming pool). Please come if you can. Even if you can't, you can support my campaign for transparency, local empowerment and, most especially, full community-lead in the management of Plantation Hall by voting for me as your SECOND CHOICE in 2nd December's council (NB: second-preference voting data is published online afterwards, so your vote will make a difference - good to know). Please don't make me your first choice unless you want me to serve as an obedience candidate (see last week's Wed-Head). I shall treat first-choice votes ONLY as votes for 'obedience', and all other votes as votes for 'manifesto' and/or 'values'. (The central plank of my forthcoming mini-manifesto will be to agree a new Bill of Rights for Council Tax payers throughout Highland, by the way - reflecting my conviction that what in 7th July's Wed-Head I called 'Deontic Empowerment' is a necessary condition of civic renewal here in Lochaber and, outside Inverness, in Highland generally.) I would also encourage you to make Joanne Matheson your third choice (or even put her second and me third, something you won't hear a candidate say very often). Ms Matheson has a long and credible record of community contribution and I am looking forward to supporting her myself with a high-place vote (there are seven candidates in all). In fact, unlike me she has a half-decent chance of winning this thing: she came close four years ago, she is campaigning for first-preference votes, and she is doing so all over our locality (whereas I'm only seeking support within the Fort William community council area). If you're a nationalist, you'll probably vote first for the SNP's Ms Sarah Fanet, which I take to be pronounced fa-NAY: Ms Fanet was born in France and has worked in both England and Scotland, which seems admirably cosmopolitan given her party loyalty. Unionist voters can choose between Liberal Democrat Mr Roger Liley, about whom I know absolutely nothing, and the conspicuously youthful Conservative candidate, Mr Ruaraidh Stewart, who had the most neatly combed hair of any of us on the recent MS-Teams videocall candidate briefing - make of that what you will. (Mine was probably the least kempt, which will surprise no-one.) Mr Stewart is currently second favourite to the clear leader, Ms Fanet, with Ms Matheson running him a close third. (So much for my powers of clairvoyance in reading the "electoral tea leaves" last week, ahem.) Something that came out of the candidate briefing was the need for me at this, or at least some, point, to 'imprint' this week's Wed-Head with a statement of 'promotion' on the grounds that it is "intended to promote or procure success" in the forthcoming election for one or more of the candidates, and that in this case the 'promoter' is the candidate himself: Mr Edward Marcus Drayton of 6 Morven Place Ft Wm PH33 6HY, known as Mark Drayton (which is how it will appear on the ballot paper, so you can safely forget all that Edward Marcus crap - something else you won't hear a candidate say very often). By way of conclusion to what amounts to my first ever 'election address', let me thank you in advance for whatever second/third place support you can give me in three weeks time: every such vote will add to the force I can, as an existing FITCC community councillor, bring to bear on the powers-that-be. I hereby pledge and promise to apply that force as wisely as I know how. - Mark Drayton, candidate
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