Westminster will not be changed by protest votes

WHILE scandal abounds in Westminster, whether it be ‘partygate’, a porn scandal or non-dom financial schemes, there are important local elections happening across the country.

As a former local councillor I know too well how much national news can affect the perceptions of local councillors and their parties. I resigned from UKIP in January 2018 after 10 years of membership. This was due to the party moving towards the kind of politics that doesn’t chime with me at all.

To this day, I’m glad I made that decision, and it was a decision based on my own political beliefs being at odds with the party having shifted too far to the right and mixing with people whose views were not my own.

I hasten to add that the decision was not made for electoral gain, it was a necessary decision made well before any election campaign that came henceforth.

It is also worth pointing out that national Westminster politics are well beyond the scope and power of local councillors, and yet it is those councillors who suffer the public backlash if there is a scandal among MPs.

There are often very good local councillors who represent a wide range of parties who really do care about their local patch and have good attendance records, often seen going about their business on behalf of residents.

Come this Thursday night, many of those good councillors will lose their seats due to voters looking at the Westminster scandals.

Seems a little harsh, doesn’t it? In my view, it is harsh. Councillors have no hand at all at national level politics or decisionmaking, yet they are judged by the actions of those who are leading our country or in opposition.

From personal experience, I have seen good councillors lose their seats in a blue wave, or an anti-Labour wave.

These protest votes at the local level won’t change a thing in Westminster. It is worth considering that point when

you cast your vote in the polling booth on Thursday. Take a look at the attendance record of your local councillors, read about what they have or haven’t done and decide for yourself whether they deserve to be re-elected or whether it’s time for someone different.

Forget party allegiances and Westminster scandal and decide on an individual basis whether you will be well represented by one of your candidates in your ward or whether they’re just making up the numbers.

After all local elections are crucial to a democratic society, Councillors are the nearest representatives we have that act on our behalf and surely you want the best person to do the job?

Distractions at scandalous Westminster in 2022 are just that, distractions, and should have no bearing on local politics.

The power lies in your hands; do you stick two fingers up at Westminster for zero change or do you cast your vote wisely?

Before I sign off I’d like to congratulate Mike Williamson’s Gateshead FC for their excellent season and successful promotion to the top tier of non-league football. Well done the Heed! n John Tennant is a former Brexit Party member of the European Parliament for the North East.

“Take a look at the attendance record of your local councillors read about what they have or haven’t done and decide whether they deserve to be re-elected or it’s time for someone different