It’s now your decision – vote, or choose to be ignored

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (we like to start with a zinger to grab the kids’ attention) was introduced for laudable reasons.

Previously the ruling party could call a general election whenever it was politically advantageous to them.

Or they could cling on to power for the allotted five years if that was all they could do.

From 2011 it was a “fixed” five years for any government.

The new arrangement was adhered to until 2017 when the reality emerged that if the ruling party wanted an election, they could still have one at any time, if two thirds of the Commons voted for it.

After some preliminary hoo-ha, a similar thing has happened this time leading to the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019. The term has been un-fixed.

The upshot is that everyone is sick of elections – one “reason” being proffered for not voting.

I understand. But the General Election isn’t being played out for our entertainment.

This is the third one in five years, sandwiched between has been a referendum, plus the usual locals and Euros.

We’re entitled to be cheesed off.

But that doesn’t lessen its importance and failing to vote is never a good move.

In Sunderland’s three constituencies in 2017 about 39%, about 80,000 people, didn’t vote.

This screamed a clear message to Westminster: “PLEASE IGNORE US”: and in the North East this is a particularly bad idea.

Non-voters are entitled to their views, but can’t reasonably expect them to be taken as seriously as those of voters by politicians and real people alikes.

Some people don’t vote because they don’t understand politics.

Well, don’t worry about that. No one knows everything about it, including politicians.

It’s dispiriting that the media makes a great play of “fact-checking” as it suggests that only now is such a thing is necessary.

But you owe it to yourself to sift through and vote how you think best.

Select the candidate you either like most, or dislike least.

Why, you can even decide on the basis of policies, should you choose to be radical.