Politicians deserve our respect — at local level

Who’d be a politician? The words ‘political’ and ‘scandal’ seem to go hand in hand as we lurch from one day’s lurid Westminster headlines to the next.

The past two years alone have been dizzying. We’d barely got over Brexit’s ‘busgate’ before we were agog at Dominic Cummings’s ‘Barnard Castlegate’.

Then along came ‘PPE-gate’, closely followed by Priti Patel’s ‘bullying-gate’, Alex Salmondgate, Greensill-gate, and ‘snoggate’ featuring erstwhile health secretary Matt Hancock.

That was before we even got to ‘partygate’ and last week’s astonishing ‘tractor porn-gate’.

Of course, there is a huge gulf between the hallowed halls of Westminster and what goes on in our town and city halls.

But when candidates are out on the campaign trail for this week’s couoncil elections, flying the flags for their political parties, the national headlines will be prominent in many voters’ thoughts.

Of course politicians get a bad press, like estate agents and, come to think of it, journalists. But we need them all to get things done.

We need public-spirited, hardworking people willing to stand for public office to ensure public money is wisely spent.

Today we highlight the retirement of four local politicians, who, between them, have clocked up 129 years of public service in the borough of Fareham.

They have worked hard for their local communities, and, as we have reported, their contribution to local affairs and democracy has been immense.

There will be newbies standing for election on Thursday, alongside seasoned local politicians and we should be thankful that there are local people willing to step up to the plate to represent others in the daily business of making our communities tick.

Local politicians, at least, deserve our respect.