No coverage of elections Observer

There has been much discussion in the press about the requirement for voters to take one of a specified form of ID if they wish to cast their vote on May 4.

This has been seen as a type of voter suppression since an over 60s bus pass is acceptable but not a young person’s railcard.

However, it seems to me that our local Chi Observer has been contributing to voter suppression in a less direct way.

We always buy a paper copy of the local newspaper, expecting reasonable coverage of local news.

This year we have seen no coverage at all of the May elections.

Any local residents relying on the newspaper for information would not have known that elections for the district and city councils were taking place.

I’m sure that political parties offered their policy statements, lists of candidates and so on in the normal way.

For some reason the local press did not give the elections, which happen every four years at this level, their usual coverage.

I’ve been told that there was some coverage on the web, but the paper journal avoided the subject altogether.

I feel that an important function of the local press is to strengthen democracy rather than just ignore the elections.

Space was allocated to the problems of potholes, inadequate care of the elderly and a housing crisis.

These are all problems which can have a local solution and it would have been interesting to get candidates’ views on these issues and on the urgent question of sewage in our harbour and on our beaches.

A general black out of political news running up to May 4 is in contrast with the column inches given every week to our local MPS.

How about asking local councillors to take turns in writing a short piece from the viewpoint of a different political party?

At least that way we might get a range of opinions, instead of the party line all the time.

Stephanie Carn Whyke Road Chichester