Who actually wants the public's vote?

Have been chundling, cos that is what I do, the relevance of voting in this country.

After watching 'The Wright Stuff', felt guilted out. Panel members and members of public phoning in insisting it is essential that people vote..that not to vote means that a person loses the right to comment on what goes on (post election). Hmmm...I don't actually agree with that (not as an absolute) because if the person believes the only choices they have are bad ones...then something else is fundamentally wrong with the 'democratic' process. Which is a massive question/debate, which I am not going to attempt to condensce into this posting.

There is another angle in regards to voting, for me. In that my Mum believed it was a right a woman should carry out considering how hard women had to fight to get that right in the past. Another hmmmm....

Thinking about the fortchoming European elections.. am rethinking my stance in regards to whether I vote or not.

I am interested to see who the local candidates are and what they have to say, in regards to what they are going to do (should they be elected). So far, all I have had is one campaign leaflet put through my door. It was from the UKIP candidate. I read it. It focussed on employment and immigration. I think they are both very important issues, and the former more important due to financial climate.

I do have views on immigration. Views that are most probably not popular. I can live with that, because, for me, it is about population and space and then trying to sustain the population that is here. I don't see it as a race issue because I think whoever governs this country should be more stringant in regards to influx [full stop] rather than 'cherry picking' from a white supremist perspective.

However, I will not be voting for UKIP (even though they seem the only candidate who is proactively seeking to be voted for). I won't vote for them because I don't think shifting to the right is going to make for a better Britain.

I would like to see candidates out and about as well as getting their campaign leaflets. I want the opportunity to ask them what they intend to do..and also pose some questions in regards to my concerns. I wonder if Labour aren't bothering to canvas because they think they are already on a hiding to nothing. That is pretty cowardly, if that is what they are using as a reason not to campaign. I am not anti Labour Party, in this regard. I have yet to see anything from the Tories, The Lib Dems or other smaller parties. I am particularly keen to read what The Green Party has to say (if there is a local candidate). I would also be interested in the views of an independant candidate (again should they exist).

I don't suppose, as a manic depressive who hasn't recovered and isn't paying taxes along with the rest of the workforce of this country, my vote counts for much...but it counts to me.

It counts enough for me to want politicians to actively canvas (more so with a view to listening to what people say and acting on that).

I fear the BNP are going to do well, through the protest vote. That will be tragic. Hitler's party did really well and initially due to the cripped financial state Germany was in. Ultimately, the initial democracy was replaced by dictatorship, segregation, genocide and a world war. I don't think that is the answer to the political dilemmas within this country and it certainly won't make politicians more trustworthy.

My view is that a government should always be more fearful of it's people than the people are of it...although the ideal would be mutual respect. That seems an ideal that will remain just that but is an ideal worth having.