stop thieves!
With the obvious exception of anyone who reads The Sun, voting should be compulsory. Non-negotiable. Countless individuals, from the Tolpuddle boys to the emancipated ladies, have given their lives for the act and the least we can do is go and register our (dis)pleasure with those who chose to rule us. I did mean to vote. I really did. I even went out to vote but somewhere between here and there it honestly slipped my mind and I forgot to go and do it. Along with 85% of you. And in any event, I was only going to spoil my ballot paper but was gutted I was so easily side-tracked.
That’s the big snag with democracy. It’s us, the voters. As the woeful turnout the other day highlighted so clearly we’re too lazy, too stupid, too easily distracted and way too easily confused. Rumour has it that one Welsh polling station attracted not one voter all day!
The ‘elected’ Police commissioners will control budgets, set targets and priorities and have the power to appoint chief constables. They will also be remunerated to the very handsome tune of a hundred thousand pounds a year. Ouch. It almost makes me want to get off my lazy ar*e and vote. Almost.
