Hi all - it's election week, and it's been a strange one.
I thought this week about filing a missing persons report for two of the candidates in my ward, Exmouth Town. I'm worried about them - nobody seems to know where they are. Or who they are, for that matter.
This creates a problem for me as a candidate - how do you motivate people to vote when a campaign is so one sided?
I urge you all to forget your apathy about the forthcoming local polls and get out to vote. The need for Voter ID makes it harder, but please try. It's your opportunity to have your say - and choose the candidates (you get three votes in Town, for example) that you think will represent you the best. The politics of Westminster matter little on Rolle Street. Having said that, there will also be people who inevitably express their displeasure with Westminster politics at the local elections.
In short, there's many reasons to vote, very few not to.
People talk of an erosion of rights in the UK, and your right to vote is one of the biggest - hard won over centuries. So please have your say on May 4th.
So Voter ID and some parties putting forward candidates that have never been to Exmouth, and certainly haven't visited during the campaign has left me feeling a bit disappointed. How is it possible to debate if you're faced with silence?
I'm confident I'll do a good job if re-elected, but welcome healthy competition. A brilliant candidate is a brilliant candidate, no matter their party. If they'll represent you to the full in the best possible way, that's great. And debate can produce new ideas, force more critical thinking and open up opportunities to (shock horror!) work together where they do agree.
But right now there's silence. Nada. Not a sausage, Nary a leaflet nor social media post to be seen from many of the candidates across East Devon.
It's really sad. At a time when we're most in need of fresh ideas and fresh inspiration across all levels of politics, particularly engaging younger people (by which, I actually mean anyone under 50!), there's not only the threat of a low turnout, but also not enough local people from some quarters willing to stand up for what they believe in and put themselves forward.
Finally, if anyone knows how to contact Dominic Nancekievell or Sylvia Wills, could they let me know?!
