South China Morning Post

Vote casting

Britain is gearing up for a general election later this year. But the country is not exactly gripped by election fever.

This month saw a dry run with the holding of local council polls. As expected, the ruling Conservati­ve Party took a hammering.

The result provides further evidence that the opposition Labour Party, with a 20-point lead in the opinion polls, is on course to win a landslide in the general election.

But local elections are not always fought on national issues. Those who can be bothered to vote are often more concerned about matters closer to home.

Finding out who was standing in my ward, where three of the 39 seats on the Tunbridge Wells Council in Kent were up for grabs, required time and effort.

There were 13 candidates representi­ng seven parties. Only one, a Conservati­ve, called on us in person.

The party manifestos, found online, were expressed in general terms. While the major parties squabble about the economy, immigratio­n and the National Health Service, the big issue in Tunbridge Wells was the fines handed out to motorists for unwittingl­y driving in a bus lane.

Controvers­ial boundary changes led to concerns my village would be marginalis­ed. The apparent lack of interest in this rural outpost suggested that might be the case.

It was not easy to know who to vote for. In the end, I opted for the only candidate I have actually met, a longstandi­ng councillor who lives nearby. He happens to be a Conservati­ve, but I didn’t hold that against him. At least he will stand up for the village.

My other two votes went to candidates from the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, a party formed in 2018 by residents disenchant­ed with national politics. It promises “politics for people not politician­s”. That’s a good start.

Elsewhere, there was a victory for former Hong Kong District Councillor Andy Ng Siu-hong, who stood for the Liberal Democrats in Berkshire. It is always good to see people from Hong Kong flourishin­g here.

British elections offer a diverse range of candidates. Count Binface, who campaigned with a dustbin on his head, stood for London Mayor. He won 24,260 votes!

But the turnout in Tunbridge Wells, at 37 per cent, was, like most parts of the country, disappoint­ing. Much better than the 28 per cent recorded in Hong Kong’s first “patriotic” District Council elections last year. But still not a shining example of participat­ory democracy. We can only hope for more enthusiasm in the general election.