Politicians are to blame for apathy
We the electorate are being attacked by our politicians for apathy in the election due to happen on November 15.
However, it has been entirely ignored by the government, broadcasters and press about who the local candidates are.
Yet three days ago I got a leaflet actually telling me that my postal vote would come on November 8, and two days ago I had the first information from the government that this was happening.
The government has decided that no literature will be allowed to be posted and then a Tory spokesman said that the voters were in danger of waking up to find a certain Labour candidate had won in the north west due to their apathy on the election if only 17 per cent had gone to the polls.
I have no doubt that this candidate was happy, as any publicity is good publicity, so what a ridiculous way for a Tory to approach this subject.
Now the political parties seem to think that we the electorate vote for the party label without considering who has had that label pinned on them by a minority of the party faithful.
Then they say when they get in they have a mandate from the country for what ever they have in their manifesto.
I ask you, if most people do as they say and vote for a party, but no thought has been given to the person, then they have no mandate.
I do not vote unless I know who the person is I am voting for, whether it is a society like the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the National Trust, or a business that I have shares in, so why should I behave any differently when it comes to the more important election of who runs our country or who is going to run our police force?
I am not in favour of blindly voting for a political party person on this occasion. Indeed, it might be better if the new Police Commissioner had no attachment to any of our political parliamentary parties. Then he or she might actually concentrate on what is best for us.
I am told I can www. the candidates, but being elderly this machinery boggles me and most of my age group are not even computer literate and yet we are the ones who are said to be the high percentage of voters.
Please, what are we the electorate to do in the next couple of weeks if we are ignored and are faced with a sheet bearing the names of people we have never heard of who only have a political label.
I have seen very poor people selected in the distant past who I would never consider, so that is why I don’t vote unless I have some information about the candidates.
Please, will someone tell our Prime Minister that?
Anne Wrangham,
By email
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northumberland
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Mist
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
