Final musings before Polling Day and I still havent got a clue what Im talking about...
On the eve of Polling the dark clouds of political change muster to herald a clarion call of wake up proportions and the forces of unspeakable anger threaten to unseat the Conservatives. Or something like that. Actually, for most of us its just another Wednesday but spare a thought for those that make this thing happen. So that we can exercise our democratic right thousands of council workers and volunteers are preparing to man the barricades and enable us to stick an x in a box. When you turn up and vote it takes a few minutes but your vote can change everything. Speak to anyone who has taken part in a vote count and they will tell you it is a meticulous operation and is closely regulated to avoid miscounts and fraud. When a miscount does happen the whole process has to start again and this goes on throughout the night.
Confusion seems to be prevalent in some quarters as to what we are actually voting for in the General Election. I don't mean this to sound patronising and it is often the case that Parish or Borough Elections coincide on the same day. I often hear people say "I'm not voting Labour because my local M.P is useless" and I believe this entirely misses the point. The purpose of a General Election is to vote a party to govern the U.K so whether or not your local M.P is a waste of space is a non issue. Whilst on the subject of local M.P's I do entirely feel sorry for the honest few who are genuinely trying to make a difference and to represent both the party and the electorate. To have your views disregarded by some over zealous Party Whip must must be torture.
Your vote matters, every single vote matters. It is a decision that can help shape the next five years and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Yet, so many of you wont even cast a vote and that is something that I feel passionately against. For all its considerable failings and short comings our electorate system is one that has been jealously guarded and yes sometimes betrayed and spat on. I don't believe the Coalition has done anywhere near the job it could have done and there are many and varied reasons for this. I feel that there is too many career focused M.P's who are more concerned with feathering their own fetid nests then actually doing the job we, yes we, tasked them with. Whether just the cannon fodder or the party leadership, there is ego everywhere and it the Voters that lose out.
It is a constant source of irritation to me that we rarely see the Party Leaders out and about except during an Election. At this time, you cant move for political figures pumping hands and kissing babies only to slink back into Westminster the minute polling has finished. This needs to change, we need to remind those in power and those that seek it that they serve us and they are in place because we have requested that they are. Clegg was so busy seeking power for himself that he didn't spare a thought for the decimation of a party he claimed to love. Miliband claims he is a man of the people yet look at his lifestyle and the property he owns. One finds it hard to imagine that he has ever had to feed his family beans on toast for anything other than choice. Our Political Leaders need to make more effort to be in touch with the electorate but I think that would have to mean they actually care.
Miliband's problem is that there is no distinction between Labour and the Conservatives, you can blame rampant Blairism for that one Ed! By pushing the party away from the power and stigma of the Unions he has removed the very reason for voting Labour. In my honest view, I don't believe the Labour Party to be robust or practised enough to represent a sensible governing body. Who honestly wants Balls, ballsing up our economy? The choice is stark, choose another 5 years of Cameron or give the talking Ed's a shot! The choice is yours and make it you must (Yoda sentence structure,sorry) It may be that this Election is merely a stepping stone to something better and more representative. So, better the devil you know? or plastic Ed and his bizarre facial contortions. Over to you Electorate, do your worst!
David Martin is a firm believer in wider reading but also spends his time watching horror films and going to the theatre. He has been known to venture outside but prefers worlds he can imagine. Follow him on Twitter at @ventspleen2014
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