Can You Find A Post Box?

Written by Andrew Stunell MP and published in Community News on Fri 7th May 2004

This year we have a bumper crop of elections - but no polling stations! That is because everyone in the North West of England will get a postal vote. If everything goes to plan you should get your ballot papers delivered to you by the end of the month. All you have to do then is to fill them in, following the instructions about secrecy carefully, and post them back in the envelope provided.

There are two elections, and two ballot papers. The first is for the Borough Council Elections. In Stockport where the Electoral Commission has changed the ward boundaries the whole Council is up for election. That means that you can vote for 3 candidates instead of the usual one this time. Of course I hope you will vote for the three Liberal Democrats, because we have an excellent record of all year round service locally. The Liberal Democrat team has well-worked out plans for the future, too, building on the theme of Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Stronger that has began to bring dividends across the town already. But as a democrat, I just hope that even if you don't agree, you will still vote.

All over the planet people are fighting and dying to get the right to elect their leaders. So when the ballot paper is actually popped through your own letterbox, maybe you could find a moment to exercise the democratic rights Britain is so proud of.

You'll find a second ballot paper - to elect your representatives to the European Parliament. At a time when many of us worry about our Government's meek following of President Bush and the lunatic right in the United States, the importance of having a clear distinctive voice in Europe has never been greater. Mr Blair and Mr Bush led us into the invasion of Iraq, and only the Liberal Democrats stood up against them in Parliament. Now we need a strong voice in Europe to do the same thing. And once again, I say as a democrat, even if you don't agree, do vote anyway.

PS I hope regular readers will share my delight that my Sustainable and Secure Buildings Bill got an unopposed Third Reading in the Commons a couple of weeks ago. It now goes through the House of Lords, and should become law in the autumn. It is going to be an important step forward for the environment, and I thank those who have written to me in support of it.