Make sure you don’t lose your general election vote on July 4 - Susan Dalgety
As a sodden Rishi Sunak walked back into Number 10 Downing Street last Wednesday, after announcing a general election on 4 July, I bet he was thinking about his summer holidays.
The Prime Minister and his wife own a £5 million penthouse in Santa Monica, California, which boasts sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.
Who wouldn’t prefer to spend the summer soaking up the sun with their family instead of trying to fix the economy, sort out the NHS and keep the Tory party in check
I reckon he has had enough of being Prime Minister, and that is why he has called a summer election.
I doubt if he thought about the Scottish school holidays when he was deciding his own getaway, but the poll does come slap bang in the middle of the first week of our national summer break.
First Minister John Swinney said Sunak’s decision shows his “contempt” for Scotland, but that is a nationalist whinge too far. You can still vote even if you are in Magaluf on election day. All you have to do is sign up for a postal vote.
When I first started campaigning, postal votes were mostly for frail, elderly people who could not leave their home to get to the polling station, but these days, anyone can apply for one.
All you have to do is Google ‘postal vote’ and you will get clear instructions on how to get a ballot paper. And it means you can fly off to sunny Spain or even California, safe in the knowledge that you have voted beforehand.
If, like me, you’re going to vote in person, you will need photo ID for the first time. Boris Johnson introduced this new rule back when he was Prime Minister.
In Scotland it only applies to UK parliament elections, like the one on 4 July, but there is no need to worry. The Electoral Commission website has very useful guidelines on what is acceptable. This includes a passport and driving licence.
And if you are over 60 or under 22, you can even use your bus pass as proof of identity. The important thing is, don’t lose your vote.