All YES THE POLITICIANS

Les explains his likeness for politics

I have always been interested in politics so it came as no surprise that took a keen interest in the goings on in the Norwich North by~election, especially as we had, if we can call her that, a local lass at the centre of it all.

I like the debate that surrounds an election and at the end of it all nearly every one of the candidates seems to be claiming some sort of victory one way or the other. Chloe Smith, the Conservative Candidate, did rather well. She did win after all in spite of the fact that over 80% of the electorate who could have voted for her didn't. Yes, I agree most of them didn't vote for anyone else either, preferring to ignore the whole process.

This is what fascinates me about politics. You can have a winner when only about 18% vote for you. Can you imagine a football match when you have only 18% of the play and as a result you lose; well what do you expect to do? Win.

So what will happen now that the dust has settled? Well not a lot because I can't see what one individual can achieve whether we are talking about Members of Parliament or indeed members of our Local Councils, like Parish Councils for example. As I understand it, when it comes to voting in the House of Commons, you are expected to vote the way you are told not what your conscious may tell you. Of course you can go against the Party line but if one day you might want to reach Cabinet Rank then you had better do what you are told.

At Parish Council level what you might be in favour of is Plan A but you are one of a number and you can get out voted the majority will win and you will have to get on with it all of this is called Democracy which appears to be rather grand but does it produce the results that are needed, well it gets the results that the majority wants but who said the majority knows what's best. I often have a smile when you have a Parish Council recommend the passing of a planning application only for the real powers that be over rule it making you wonder why the Parish Council bothered with it in the first place.

Can you imagine an Army in battle and it's put to the vote as to whether you advance or retreat, all democratic but hardly advisable, but in reality what of course happens is you have some one totally in charge, now you are talking, the success or failure will rest with him, now that's more like it

I still like politics at all levels you can't beat a good old debate and if it gets ~heated which at local level it very often does well why not may-be it's not very progressive but then who's counting?. You can't beat some one storming out ~of a Meeting in a filthy temper because things haven't gone their way and then when they get home kick the cat, or who knows Maybe the Wife.

Les Lawrence

Methwold