Your MP Writes for the Chronicle Extra

April 2008

Two superb young constituents came to see me recently to talk about votes at 16. They represented the British Youth Council which is campaigning for a lowering of the voting age by two years to 16.  I listened carefully to the strong case they made but said as yet I remain to be convinced.  But I was impressed by their confident belief that voting makes a difference. 

That was the spirit which led millions of South Africans to queue to vote for the first time at the end of the last century and millions of Iraqis to vote at the beginning of this one.  It was also the spirit which recently motivated millions of Zimbabwaeans to vote for change despite the repression of the Mugabe dictatorship.

How many voters will vote in next weeks local elections here?  Less than half if recent trends continue yet voting for local people on local issues can make a real difference to our local community.  It matters if regeneration is delivered, it matters that our streets are safe, that schools are properly resourced and our old folk are properly looked after. 

Some people think voting doesn’t make much difference because results are a foregone conclusion – yet many wards are marginal.  Some people say there’s little difference between the parties but if you look carefully at what they say they are offering different futures.

Voting in local elections will not change the world but it will make a difference in local communities.  It’s your right as a local resident to have your say on local issues and on the local people who would represent us.  So I hope you will use your vote on Thursday 1st May.