THE LIVING ROOMS

Eco Echo column April 2010

Want My Vote?  Then Listen Up!

By the time you read this, it’s very possible that you will already know the date of the General Election – most people seem pretty sure it will happen on 6th May.  Whenever it takes place, my hope is that politicians will realise just what a low standing they have after various expenses and tax scandals, and try to bring an element of honesty and fairness into the campaign.

A naive, vain hope?  Perhaps.  But many important changes have started as unlikely dreams, so let’s not entirely lose heart.  I don’t want to get party political here, so I’d like to present my ‘Manifesto’ for the forthcoming election campaign itself.

1. First off, please don’t treat us like idiots.  That is one of the biggest turn-offs from political engagement.  Many of us are capable of sifting fact from hyperbole, and we want to try to understand the big issues.  So be honest with the electorate, and if a situation is complex or difficult, don’t sweep it under the carpet or over-simplify it; instead try explaining it to us, so that we can make an informed choice.

2. Accept the concept of ‘joined-up thinking’.  Concentrating on single issues might have an immediate popular appeal, but we are not fooled that a decision made in one area will impact on everything else the Government does.  So tell us how you will make it all fit together.

3. Try and find a way to make it socially unacceptable for some people to earn such huge amounts and yet pay so little tax.  Yes, we need people to have an incentive to succeed, but too many at the top of the tree are not even paying their fair share.  Perhaps the problem is that too many politicians fit into this group?

4. Tell us how you will use power to force through increased sustainability, for example in new building projects.  Yes, the technology does add cost, but the only way that cost will come down is once the technology is commonplace, and the market will not necessarily make this happen.  So politicians must step in and use legislation to give that process a boost.

5. Stick to politics.  We are not remotely impressed with overt, populist, vote-grabbing stunts.  If I see you Big Brother/Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing on Ice, I will not take you seriously and will not vote for you.  But by all means come on to non-political discussion programmes to get your message across (yes, the This Morning sofa should be somewhere we explore our candidates’ views).

6. Avoid short-termism.  So many of the country’s – and the world’s - problems demand a long-term outlook, so don’t pretend to us that you can solve everything in the first 100 days.  Actually, I’d like to hear how you are going to make your solutions work beyond the five years of one Parliament.

7. Particularly in Norfolk, we want to hear how you are going to support rural communities.  You might be living in your taxpayer-supported second home in London, but don’t forget where you came from and where the people who you want to put you in power live.

8. Be honest.  It may feel strange, but go on, try it.  You might even find we start to respect you.
 

Article published in Eco Echo April 2010