Kev, you are right to say that most of the electorate don’t care about politics. I believe that is one of the main reasons why we have the representatives we have.
In the wake of poor voter turnout in successive general elections, politicians from all the main parties stated that now is the time to reconnect/re-engage with ordinary people across the country. They ‘talk the talk,’ but won’t ‘walk the walk’ because it suits politicians to have an apathetic electorate which makes no demands and does not hold them to account. The onus is on us to force our elected representatives to change.
At the time of the MPs’ expenses scandal, I think it’s fair to say that the whole country was outraged and most of us had a little moan and groan in our local pub/shop. No demands or protests on Westminster though, so it’s hardly surprising that normal business has resumed.
Many people who have a grumble about a wide range of issues are quick to disassociate themselves from anything to do with politics. Unfortunately, the two cannot always be separated. Whether on a national or local level, politics is about our everyday life – our children’s school, our hospital, our roads, what we earn, or pay in tax, level of council tax, water charges and so on.
We need to engage with our politicians and demand change.
