Elections

The polls closed at 10 pm on Thursday. I’ve been wearing my yellow Lib Dem rosette and people have been waving enthusiastically. Must be a good sign. This has been a complicated mix of elections. Being in Surrey, just outside of London then the mayoral elections didn’t have an impact. The only vote I had was for the election of a police and crime commissioner. However, we had campaigned in a by-election for the Staines South and Ashford West Division of Surrey County Council.
Although an increasing number of people vote by post there is nothing quite like turning up and putting a mark on a ballot paper. This being a by-election the turn-out of voters was not expected to be high. That’s a euphemism for saying; large numbers of people don’t vote in local elections. In my mind, not voting is an act of submission. There’s no rebellion in sitting on ones hands.
I spent the evening meeting local people as they went to vote at Buckland School. Yes, school buildings are often used as polling stations in the UK. There was a steady flow of people returning home from work and then popping out to vote. It’s a very civilised affair. Even the local Party banter is generally civilised. At least it was on that sunny spring evening. There was only myself, as a Liberal Democrat and a Conservative activist standing outside the school collecting polling numbers.
An evening with the voters can provide some interesting moments. There are those who shun any kind of contact as if a conversation might invalidate the secret ballot. There are others who keenly want to chat about a local problem or bring up a subject like the coming referendum.
Talking to one guy we found we were on different sides of the argument about continued European Union membership. What we did both agree is that the best result for the UK would be a clear decisive result. If in June this year, the final outcome of the referendum is say; 51% to 49% either way, no one is going to be happy. A decisive vote to REMAIN would be good for stability. It would mean that we will get back to acting on the issues that matter to people like; education, health and the environment rather than endlessly talking about institutions, regulations and structures.
As it got dark so it got chilly standing outside the polling station in Staines. That’s how it will be if people who support Europe don’t come out to vote in June. A chill wind will blow over our country. So, step up and don’t let a noisy bunch of merchants of doom dictate our future.