Well if you thought you were bored with politicians talking Brexit, you will hardly be inspired by the thought of those same people knocking on your door and filling your TV screens, asking for your support at the ballot box on December 12th.
And therein lies a very great danger – if anything, there has never been a more important time to make sure that you cast your vote and the reality is that there are many amongst the political classes who really don’t want you to.
I saw a comment on social media recently about our local Liberal Democrats and their “victory” in a Council By-Election in Wallington North. The comments questioned on the suitability of the Liberal Democrat candidate, the imposition of the Parking Strategy on the area, the Incinerator and other failings of the incumbent administration – yet the Liberal Democrats won.
They won because they got their supporters (representing 12.5% of the total ward electorate) to the ballot box – congratulations to them for their organisation. That small band of supporters delivered on a low turnout and it is what “professional” politicians have increasingly relied upon.
Look what happened to that political establishment when they asked for a simple binary choice in the 2016 Referendum 70+% of the electorate turned out to vote and chaos ensued – it is called the silent majority and what a noise they made.
We need you out there again on December 12th – locally, we know that the Liberal Democrat machine will be at work supporting their 55th local Councillor, Tom Brake.
I say that because during the local elections in May 2018, I spent a considerable time convincing a voter that Mr Brake was not a Councillor but an MP.
But should an MP be out canvassing with the Chair of the Council’s Environment and Neighbourhood Committee (who runs his Parliamentary office) on the Council Parking strategy when half the Borough is represented Paul Scully MP, a Conservative?
And if the Labour Group bring out the Haringey Councillor, Emine Ibrahim again, it is a real North London stand-off with Tom Brake having started his political activity as a Councillor for the London Borough of Hackney!
So we are pleased that the Conservatives have gone local with Elliott Colburn – no, not old Etonian but an alumnus of Carshalton Boys who works for the NHS and who perhaps knows more about St Helier than merely as a backdrop for photo opportunities.
Good Luck to them all.
But who ever you like or support, on Friday 13th December, you must be able to look yourself in the mirror and say “At least I did my bit for democracy”.
PLEASE USE YOUR VOTE
