Quote:
Originally Posted by gynn
On the other hand, it is the only chance the electorate have (until the next General Election in 2015) to express their verdict on the performance of national politicians. If you stand on a Labour or Conservative ticket, the voters won't differentiate between national and local politics (and why should they?).
And the ruling party locally will, in my experience, rarely rock the boat when its own party is in power nationally.
I know it won't make much difference in Hyndburn, but I think the biggest legacy of the 2011 local elections will be the disappearance of a lot of hard working local Liberal Democrat councillors who will be judged on the performance of their national leaders.
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I agree with what you're saying but a Labour or Conservative badge is an expression of opinion on national issues. For a useless local party to coast into power simply on the back of the party in Westminster is no good for anyone. We have several apathetic councillors who wave to the populace every time elections draw near and get voted in because of the badge.
Whilst in principle the AV system tries to do away with this it will never work because of those people who blindly vote for party colours and all we will end up with is lazy councillors who have found that their luck is running out suddenly garnering more votes by default.
The public doesn't trust politicians, I've learned that much from talking to residents on the doorstep who see us as being in it for what we can get. Councillors have to work harder anyway since the expenses scandal in order to justify their positions and quite rightly so.
Change the way your councillors behave, not the way they rack up their votes.