In a short while I am going to set off the my local polling station where I shall be vote-telling in the European elections. I have been bracing myself for this for sometime. It is not that I expect to find it monotonous (although I have been told it can be) it is that I want to do it efficiently. It is all part of the political footprint I spoke of in a feature I wrote last week for the Mail on Sunday.
It appeals to me on another level. It is an activity that makes me feel more connected with my community and with the powers that be in Brussels. Through my political activities I have met my Euro MP and several candidates. My point is this: it does not take much time or effort to get involved, and the rewards are considerable. Think about how much better you feel when you view your bank balance regularly. You know how much i there is in your account and you can then manage it properly. It is the same in politics - pay attention to what is going on around you - even in a small way - and you will start to feel a lot better about life
Over the last few weeks we have spent hours debating the moral corruption and selfishness of MPs. In many cases we have every right to do this. Haven’t we fallen a sleep at the wheel, though. Voter apathy is a big problem but to carry on the analogy indifference can be a two-way street. We looked away for long enough and we were taken advantage of.
The best way to stop any kind of horror is to expose it to public scrutiny. That doesn’t mean just reading an online account of your MPs expenses, it means paying attention to the political process. Like our newspapers sometimes we get the politicians we deserve. As Peter Gabriel said of the South African apartheid regime after the death of Steve Biko……”the eyes of the world are watching now.” Steve Biko needed to be politically aware and active. We can’t all be active…but we can be aware.