[Margaret Pilkington]

Hooray, Hooray.......someone who can actually see this is not a democracy...that the people have no power to influence anything....that the government do not have a mandate because a lot of those who have a vote do not feel confident enough to use it(for whatever reason).

Many years ago I voted, but always felt that I really did not understand the process.....that politics was full of stuff that I didn't understand.
Then I must have grown up or something because I did understand that politics wasn't boring...that it touched every part of my life.
I voted with confidence for the party which was closest to my own core values.
Alas, despite politicians telling me what they believed in before they were elected, it seemed to change radically once they were in power. Power is like that......it makes people lie...say things to the electorate that they do not mean, that they have absolutely no intention of following through on.

I was duped.....more than once. I was disappointed - more than once.
I became suspicious and cynical - and I suspect that many people felt the same.

I am not the kind of person who will follow a party political dogma come hell or high water. I wasn't brought up in a household that voted for one particular party and followed it doggedly, unwilling to listen to what other parties had to say. I think about things. I mull over the messages that the parties send out.

The biggest message that is being sent out right now by all the parties is 'I'm alright Jack - bu88er you'.
It doesn't fill me with any kind of confidence.