Post Euro election - pre result.

On Thursday 22nd May just gone, we voted in the Euro Election and just hours from now,73 lucky individuals will get the phone call they've dreamt about, namely a first class ticket to board the European Gravy Train where £100K or there about per year will be come there way courtesy of taxpayers. Hundreds of candidates placed their names on the ballot paper and who can blame them, the prize being lots of undeserved money for rope Britain doesn't need and the majority of our population don't want. As to how great the resentment against continuing subservience to the EU actually is, we'll find that out when the results get announced and a grinning Nigel Farage remains plastered across our newspapers and TV screens.

I 'voted' in as much as I registered a protest by spoiling my ballot paper. I drew a line through all the names and wrote across it words to the effect of 'will not vote for the least worst/damaging of a rotten lot'. Since making that known, I've had a bit of grief from some folk who think it should be compulsory to vote and to not do so betrays the sacrifices made for democracy by generations gone before. My reply is that we need to be able to vote positively, for a candidate who can be expected to work hard and repay the trust placed in them. I'm clearly not going to endorse a 'yes man' nor an individual who doesn't believe in the same things I do, therefore, and because no candidate appeared on the paper I could trust, I felt compelled to spoilt it.

At the General Election a year from now I'll probably have to do the same again (not for the first time) which irks because I want to be able to cast a positive vote and should my candidate win, let she or he get on with it! I've no objection to an individual earning good money provided they work hard and reward my political sensibilities by reassuring me that whilst I'm hard at it, pulling my weight, doing my bit as a citizen by working hard and raising my family to have high standards, my political representative is doing the right thing by the community and country, reassuring me that she/he is on the case and standing up for my interests. To my way of thinking that's the whole point of electing 'representatives' the trouble is, it ain't happening, not in terms of national politics and certainly not at that jamboree / beano / endless cocktail party in Strasburg.

As to why a Euro sceptic like me couldn't bring myself to vote UKIP? Other than where the need to shake off the European straitjacket and control sensibly our borders, the party worries the hell out of me. They've no meaningful policies aimed at repairing our broken economy and society, but what they do talk about is more selling off of what's left of the family silver, and then of course are all the fruitcakes associated with the party 'Nige' could no doubt do without, but who are present and more than happy to demonstrate stupidity when a journalist with a microphone / camera are close by. Very worrying.