Politics is boring? For anoraks like me it’s fascinating, for the rest of the population, it’s just essential. The existence and quality of democracy is what defines a free people.
During the last few months I’ve been told many times that it’s not worth voting because ‘nothing changes’, ‘it does not affect me’, or ‘I’ve no interest’.
People take more care over selecting a one or two week holiday or a used car and worry more about their sports team than over who makes the rules that will govern their lives for years ahead.
If nothing changes it’s because so many of us don’t vote and of those that do, most select candidates based on rosette colours and maybe on a few newspaper and TV headlines. Hardly anyone reads party manifestos.
One of the new aims of my own party is to change our electoral system and government structure to one that reflects the overall national votes for parliament and local one for councils.
We retain the outdated and undemocratic ‘first past the post’ simply because it hugely favours the old main parties. The last referendum insultingly offered the worst possible alternative, simply to try and maintain the status quo.
Elections are far more important than any game, holiday or other interest.
For ordinary people, over our lifetimes, more of our money will go to government and councils than anything or anyone else. It will even determine how much your children and grandchildren will have to pay towards the national debt incurred by present governments. This time read all the manifestos, listen to the debate and above all vote now rather than complain later.
UKIP South Holland and The Deepings branch chairman
