In our canvassing we have noticed a disturbing new trend. There are more and more people who have made a positive decision not to vote in the general election.
Cynicism and apathy are understandable given the whole series of MP scandals recently. And being insulted and pre-judged by people you have never met comes with the territory when you are running for elected office. But if I was a wealthy crook or a corrupt charlatan, as I have been called, I wouldn’t be spending hours of my own time out in cold evenings, knocking on doors or delivering leaflets.
The implication seems to be that by the very fact that you are running for parliament or for council, therefore you must be corrupt. End of.
I would ask these people two questions. Firstly, if people don’t vote, how will things change? You could elect people who have promised to open up politics and then ensure you hold them to account afterwards.
Or question two. If you don’t like a system where we elect our MPs and councillors, what alternative would you like? A dictatorship? Military government? One-party rule?
If turnout is below 50% for this election, maybe we should have some sort of national consultation on how to choose our politicians – or even a referendum on whether we should elect them (and what would the turnout be for that?)
But, seriously, we should certainly address this issue and ask how can we get a higher turnout in elections.
So are you asking them to vote UKIP or BNP if they don't like the official parties?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that "didn't vote" is clearly going to be the largest party is indeed very disturbing. And who is to blame for it? We are repeatedly told that it is a wasted vote to go for anybody else but all 3 of you are effectively the same party - committed to criminal wars; promoting false fear stories like catastrophic warming to keep us obedient; recession; lies; fraud; drug lordism; child rape; genocide; organlegging; preventing technological progress; disease; poverty.
I would not accept that everybody who runs for Parliament is corrupt, nor that people think so, merely that everybody who runs for Parliament for a corrupt party on an obviously corrupt platform, like yours, is.
Are you seriously suggestinmg that Britain would not be better off if we had an honest & competent military dictatorship (& I grant most of them aren't) than having you corrupt, thieving, illiberal charlatans still holding a monopoly of power? If we get a dictatorship it will be because corrupt fascist politicians allowed of no alternative.