No, not really, Taggy, because in the end, you're not just voting for a party, you're voting for an individual who will represent your interests in parliament and, despite everything, there are still a few decent ones out there.
I'd no time at all for the Thatcher government, but I voted for Ken Hargreaves because I thought he was a fantastic local MP who really had his constituents' interests at heart. He certainly went the extra mile for me when I was sorting out UK residency for my missus. And, as Garinda says, he'd no airs and graces - he just travelled back from London each week on the train with the hoi polloi, with no fuss.
Similarly, I've no time for Brown and his cohorts, but if I still lived in Accy I'd vote for Graham Jones next time around. Having chatted to him, he seems a genuine sort of bloke who really cares about local issues. And, in a similar way to Ken, he's no airs and graces - just sits in the pub over pre-match drinks shooting the breeze with us "lads".
Well worth considering that if you don't vote, you might end up with a Nicholas Winterton type!
