Categories: uncategorized
Date: 04 April 2007 07:19:17
It's that time of year when the "junk mail" increases and you notice that there is a significant increase in the blue, red and gold (and possibly green) through your letter box; yes in many parts of the country we are rapidly approaching local elections again.
Now I know the immeadiate reaction from most people will be (i) boring, (ii) it's politics - I don't do politics or (iii) it's only a local election, so why bother. But I'm suggesting you (i) to bother reading the junk mail (with a healthy air of cynicism) and (ii) bother to vote on May 3rd.
Reasons:
1. Local politics does effect you. Councils set budgets and make decisions where money does and doesn't go locally. They also are involved in planning and licencing issues. It is local councils (and so councillors) who have been key in many areas deciding that they don't want casinos, (just as an example).
2. Behind the leaflets there are a bunch of people who have worked hard to get the thing designed, printed, folded and delivered. These are people, often without professional skills, who are doing their best on very low resources, coming mainly from their own pockets, to get involved because they want to make a difference in their communities.
3. If you don't bother then the minority extreme groups -(assuming you're not voting for one of them) - find it easier to get a foothold. It's local not national elections where groups such as the BNP make headway and build their support and the only way to guarentee that won't happen is if people get active in voting for other people.
4. If you want a really cruel reason to vote remember there are a raft of paper candidates in local elections. These are people who really don't want to be councillors, but think you should have the chance to vote for the party of your choice and so are risk standing (but only in areas where they don't stand a chance). If you actually bother to vote you could be increasing the chances of one of these people getting in and that could be quite funny, (depending upon how you look at it).