CROSSING THE POLITICAL DIVIDE

With local elections less than 48 hours away, the current state of the national political scene has given us all pause for thought.

The high level of anger and frustration at the state we seem to have got ourselves into over Brexit is palpable. The fear amongst those of us who are daft enough to put ourselves in the firing line is not only that the electorate will turn their back on us, but that in their disgust will choose not to vote at all. To my mind this will be the most heinous crime of all. The whole point of a democracy is that we do have the opportunity to choose who represents us. We might not favour any of those who appear on the ballot paper but the very least we can do is to express our disgust by spoiling the paper; this in itself sends a clear enough message.

I am sick and tired of hearing the strident voice of Brexit remainers saying that only a portion of the electorate wanted out. Turnout was high, at almost 72%, and I would argue that those who chose not to vote clearly did not care sufficiently to express a view either way.

What bothers me most though is that the man on the street is not always able to segregate the national picture from the local one. Party political divisions can be toxic. It is often said that in certain areas of the country you could put a monkey up for election and it would be successful because of those who have ‘always voted that way’. This is no longer good enough.

Despite being a lifelong Conservative (for my sins) I certainly have not always voted for the Conservative candidate; I vote for the person that I believe will best serve my interests and those of my community, based on my knowledge of them and the extent to which they have demonstrated their commitment and interest in the issues that matter most to me.

Over many years I have been courted by other political parties but have always declined because I do not share their views or values. Besides, if I part company with the Tories now, they will never change, and change is surely what is needed.

In standing for the local elections myself, for the 7^th time, I pride myself on the fact that I am able to gain full cross-party support, and am thrilled when someone says to me, ‘By the way, which party do you represent?’

I consider an election in my area successful if I gain the highest turnout. If I am re-elected it will be an honour and a privilege; and if not, then clearly I have not been doing the job to their satisfaction. That’s politics for you.