Make your mark while you still can

IT’S been an interesting experience to read recent expert opinion on “challenges” about choice and diversity that impact on today’s local elections. sometimes wonder what agendas are at work – or if the subtleties of local campaigning have actually managed to slip under the academic radar.

As it happens, the number of candidates to be elected unopposed in the Evening Post circulation area is at its lowest for many years.

That said, looking at the range of candidates in Carmarthen, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, there’s only one instance of a party actually contesting all available seats.

But don’t make the mistake of confusing apathy for strategy.

More often than not, the sparsity of names on a ballot paper has less to do with disinterest and more about cherry-picking.

Elections can be an expensive business. As such, the nature of the First Past the Post (FPTP) system used for local elections can require campaign chiefs to decide whether it makes sense to put resources into fighting an unwinnable seat or target somewhere more marginal.

Put another way, if the incumbent is already facing a viable challenge from someone else, then why confuse matters?

Sometimes unspoken accommodations are reached as to who stands where, especially if likely coalition partners are involved.

You could argue that this sort of thing goes against the spirit of electoral choice. Then again, parties would say that this simply shows a level of intent of wanting to get the best representation elected.

So, this is where I roll out the perennial argument that there is also a viable alternative available; and that’s proportional representation.

And before anyone decries the suggestion, allow me to point out that seats across all 32 Scottish local authorities will be determined today by a Single Transferable Vote (STV) method. What’s more, it’s been that way for the last 15 years.

The only impact on voting, generally speaking, is that all wards are reconfigured to return between three to four councillors each (and that ballot papers look like a till toll).

That’s all I’ll say on the matter. The rest is up to you.

Just to add though, and it’s only opinion, but we’re seeing democratic freedoms being eroded to an alarming degree.

So I’d advise that you go out and make your mark today – while you still can.