Get out there and VOTE… TODAY… so we can moan about the people we vote in!

I must do my civic duty first of all. Most people across the country have some sort of election today. Either a Council election or a Mayoral election or a Police and Crime Commissioner election (or in Blackpool South, your new MP). You have a duty to go out and vote. People died for the right to vote, so go and vote. Also, if you don’t vote you are NEVER EVER allowed to complain about the politicians ever again (it’s the law, you are only allowed to moan about them if you voted them in).

This is also the first election where you have to show photo ID to be able to vote so remember to take your passport, driving licence or freedom pass and go down to the polling station. You don’t need your polling card, you can just give your address and they will give you a ballot and then vote.

Who to vote for is simple… Google the names of the candidates (there is a list up outside the polling station) put in their name + new homes or housing and if they are a NIMBY who say: “Vote for me and I will stop development” DON’T VOTE FOR THEM! Simple really!

Then on Friday, we will get the results. And it is going to be awful for the poor old Conservatives. The weekend might not be terribly pleasant for the Prime Minister and for all we know, by next week this time the Conservative Party might be looking for his replacement (if rumours are to be believed).

What is interesting about the forthcoming General Election is that unlike every election since 1983 that has had a distinct “presidential flavour” (i.e. vote Thatcher, vote Blair, vote Cameron, Vote Johnson) this election is going to be a fight between the political Parties. Do you vote Conservative or Labour? Neither of the leaders (and I can’t see a replacement Tory) have that “presidential” personality.

The General Election, whenever it comes, is going to be all about the political Parties and about the competency of the Party to run the country. And incidents like Dan Poulter crossing the floor because of the threat to our NHS from the Conservatives are a damning indictment of the Government. The reality is that while the NHS is creaking, the Government is spending £370 million on a PR stunt about sending asylum seekers to Rwanda… a country that we accept asylum seekers from!

For whatever it is worth, I for one am firmly of the opinion that we need a General Election as soon as possible. Our Government is no longer governing us and no longer has the County’s best interest at heart. They are simply self-indulging in fights between different factions of the Tory Party and living in some fantasy where they think that somehow, by some miracle they are going to pull off a stunt and win the election. But the time is up. We need change, and we need it now!

Until next week,

Henry

PS. If you have a political issue on a planning application, call me on 07736121014.