To Vote, or Not to Vote

To Vote, or Not To Vote was the very important issue raised by John Culverhill (EADT 1st August). What is achieved by not voting? Precisely...nothing.

Nobody should kid themselves that by not voting they have set out any kind of marker. That somehow things will change if enough people don't vote! The fact is that no one takes any notice of people who don't vote.

John mentioned Norwich North which turned into a classic case of voter apathy. At a time of absolute distrust and confidence in the political system a by-election presented itself to the people of Norwich. At a time when MP's expenses; the collapsed economy; deaths in Afghanistan; rising unemployment; concerns on immigration; and the climate on the brink of major change where at the forefront of the public mind. They had the chance to try something new. The 'also ran' candidates including some really worthwhile people. The Lib Dems fielded a local businesswoman with local council experience. There was an Independant who was a former Ambassador with real experience of the world. The Greens fielded a candidate who just missed being elected the European Parliament. Even UKIP fielded a candidate of merit.

There was no shortage of quality candidates for the people to chose from other than the traditional two parties.

So what did the voters do? They mostly stayed at home, and those that did vote opted mainly for Labour or Tory. Those parties managed to get their core vote out, and the voters who did not vote allowed them to get away with it.

Who is responsible for this? The voters who stayed at home are responsible. They let down their community. They let down their friends, their children and their grandparents. They ignored the sacrifice of those who fought in the past and are still fighting today to preserve democracy. They choose not to vote...and achieved nothing.

It's a free country. They have that choice to make, but they also paid the price for their apathy, and they lost the right to complain. Change will only come from action not inaction!

Barack Obama showed change was possible even in a country as deeply rooted in conservatism as the USA.

It is time for Britain to move on, and the ballot box is how we do it. Ignore it and pay the price.