We’ve stumbled across the blog of a young journalism student called Shane Croucher. He’s a journalism student who votes in the Rochford and Southend East constituency.
He sets out his thoughts on local elections here:
The upcoming local elections on June 4th may be an interesting reflection of how the public feels about national politics. However, this should not be the case.
When coming to vote for a local councillor, many of the population will have the expenses scandal, the economic crisis, settlement rights for Ghurkas and many more issues whizzing around their heads like a swarm of angry locusts, eating away at the rationale of voting in local elections.
None of these issues are particularly important at local council level. Yet they may well be the deciding factors when people are ticking the box.
Don?t vote for a party, vote for the candidate. If you?re a stalwart Tory but your local Tory candidate is an arse, don?t vote for them. Vote for the most competent candidate that shares your views on local issues. Vote for the candidate that seems most trustworthy and has a loud, clear, representative voice. Independents are more likely to be strong candidates as they are entering politics off their own backs, genuinely wanting action and change with a passion for local issues…..
and his views on James Duddridge’s expenses are here:
……He needs some of the allowances provided, not all. Kitchen items, money to pay his council tax and all the rest of it are non-essential to his work as an MP. I hope that the local newspaper and the electorate will rigorously hold him to account from now on. I know I will.
For those who are interested, James Duddridge has a statement on his website at http://www2.jamesduddridge.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=1