Election time

Our ballot papers arrived yesterday. We started getting a postal vote when we moved here, as the local polling station was not wheelchair accessible. I look at the list of candidates, most of whom I've never heard of. So far we've had very little canvassing material arrive.

In the local election we have 4 candidates but we've only heard from one, a second arriving today. So what are the policies? No idea, just a load of waffle about what pillars of the community the people are & how they want to improve things without saying what their vision of an improved world is like or how they propose to achieve it. That's it.

As for the European elections, we have 13 candidates. Again I'm staggered by the lack of info on which to judge the parties. I've never even heard of the Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" or the Jury Team. I've no idea of their policies. If they do give any info at all, it is policies that may be relevant to a British election but not about things that are decided on a European basis. How do the political parties & independent candidates expect you to come to a reasoned decision without stating what they stand for & how they hope to achieve it?

I feel as though I'm expected to vote blind, just put a pin in. Since we moved to this area, North Lancashire/South Cumbria in 1975 we have only ever had one candidate turn up on our doorstep. She duly told us we had to vote for her & we duly went & voted for someone else.

We've even bought the local newspaper for some idea of policies. So far nothing. You wouldn't even realise there is an election due. I'm just hoping something appears in next week's paper, otherwise the only reason I can see for voting is to keep the BNP out.

And the politicians complain about the electorate being apathetic!