A day in the life of Voice Of Wales

It’s been long overdue, but i finally met Dan and Stan today (07.05.21) and got to walk in their shoes for the day. As you know, both Dan and Stan, are standing in the local elections for UKIP in the Swansea area and today, is ballot counting day and this is just a small insight of the day.

As soon as we walked into the counting area, you could feel the eyes of other candidates staring at us. There were two police officers in the middle of the room, which took interest in us. when we walked round to a far corner to observe a count, the police decided to approach us for a chat. As none of us were wearing a mask (all have exemptions), they started by asking us the usual “why are you not wearing a mask” etc questions and we informed them of our exemptions. When they started to repeat the questions, they were then reminded, that they were interfering with an election count and they soon left us, so we could continue observing the count. 

When we started a 2nd walk round of the counting tables, two more police had turned up and all four were watching us. Before we arrived at the some corner as before, a local MP walked passed by us and left a snide passing comment. The lads, professional as always, just brushed it off and didn’t rise to his comment. The MP was then observed, talking to a person and this person made a beeline for us. When he approached us, he introduced himself and he was from trading standards. and again, we had the same mask questions as from the police. He had the same reply as what the police did. He too left sharpishly. 

After a while, we left this counting area, to go into a 2nd counting area. After leaving the 1st room, two of the police followed us into the 2nd counting area. Not sure why they followed us, but either police officers wouldn’t stop staring at us. If it was an intimidation tactic, but it wasn’t working.

When the count was quieting down, we left to go to the 3rd counting area in a different venue. When we stopped to observe a count, another trading standards person came to speak to us and said “i know you’ve just come from another counting venue, but is there a reason for you all not wearing a mask?”. Again, we informed him, that we are all exempt and when he was asked “how did you know we were at the other venue?” he soon changed his comment to “i said, if you have come from the other venue”. Knowing he was caught in his own lie, he soon left us. But it was obvious, that the two venues were talking to each other. We continued to observe the counting.

Due to other commitments, my day with Dan and Stan, sadly had to come to an early end. And what a day it was. I witnessed first hand, intimidation tactics not only from the police, a (supposedly) trusted elected MP and trading standards. But above all of the tactics, the lads were not fazed by it all and were up beat all day long. People rarely get to see what i witnessed today and i tip my hat to Dan and Stan, for what they have to go through, on a day to day basis and still look at the positives in people and life. Thanks guys for having me join you today.