The man walking his dog in Hexham thought for a moment when asked what was happening in a month’s time on 1 May. “May Day, the FA Cup Final?” he ventured, showing a commendable knowledge of the country’s calendar. “The local elections,” he was told. “Ah,” he said, looking underwhelmed. “Are you going to vote?” he was asked. His answer was to shrug.
He’s not alone in his indifference. In recent years only about a third of the North East’s electorate have bothered to vote in local elections. It’s no better elsewhere in the country.
Faith in our politicians, surveys suggest, is at an all time low. In fact, with Donald Trump talking up “methods” for a third term, and Marine Le Pen looking for ways to overturn a judicial ban, democracy itself is arguably at risk as never before.
A recent poll suggested that a fifth of people under forty thought the country would be better off under a “strong leader who doesn’t have to bother with elections.” In other words, a dictatorship.
But surely it couldn’t happen here, could it?
Keeping democracy alive
The truth is, if democracy is seen NOT to work, if we treat it with disdain, if we fail to see how precious it is, fail to cherish it, nurture it, don’t respect those who fought and died for it, we will lose democracy altogether.
Thankfully there are plenty of candidates and volunteers still fighting to keep democracy alive. In the build up to elections, miles and miles are walked, doors are knocked, leaflets delivered, dozens and dozens of conversations held, insults and wishes of good luck received in varying measures.
This year in the North East all the wards for Northumberland and Durham unitary authorities are being contested on Thursday 1 May, along with a mayoral contest in North Tyneside. There are also numerous town and parish council elections. If you’re registered you should have received your polling card.
This is the first time Northumberland and Durham have held elections since 2021. Then the Conservatives, nationally, were at the peak of a covid vaccine bounce under Boris Johnson. They took more than 45% of the vote and 65% of all council seats. It now means across the country the Tories have nearly one thousand seats to defend. Most projections predict they’ll lose half of them.
Reform
What’s changed is the rise of Reform. An Electoral Calculus Poll, commissioned by the Daily Telegraph and published on 14 March put Reform neck and neck with the Conservatives on 25% of the vote with Labour 18% and Lib-Dems 17%. The poll predicted that Reform would take control of Northumberland and be the largest party in Durham.
Opinion polls, of course, can be wrong. And Reform has been somewhat busy fighting amongst themselves in recent weeks, rather than their political opponents. Some argue Donald Trump isn’t helping their cause either.
Why should we bother?
Back in Hexham a town councillor strides up the hill onto a housing estate which rises high above the town. The roads here are potholed, the pavements uneven, road signs are battered and often unreadable, there’s litter everywhere. In other words, it’s no different than most of the country. Why should people bother, when nothing seems to work?
“Because we have to keep fighting to make it work,” says the councillor, who must remain anonymous so as not to make things complicated under the Representation of the People Act. She argues that national politicians are not local politicians.
“Most local councillors I know care about local people,” she adds. “They really do. And so much good work is done.”
Local Councils are, of course, victims of national funding policies and things have never been tougher. It’s estimated one in four councils need emergency help. Many face bankruptcy. Their statutory requirements include adult social care, housing and public health. The demand for these and other services keeps rising and funding failed to keep up through all the austerity years and beyond.
Democracy in action
At this point an elderly lady pulls up in her car and unwinds the window. She asks if our candidate is the “local councillor” and proceeds to describe an access issue for a disabled person who lives near her. The councillor, or rather, candidate, notes down the details and says she will report it up the chain. Here is local democracy in action.
Dozens of people, similar to this town council candidate, standing for unitary, mayoral, town and parish councils in Durham, Northumberland and North Tyneside, will be asking for your vote on 1 May. The least any of us can do is pay attention think about it and get out and vote. Or, if you can’t physically get to a polling booth, apply for a postal vote by midnight of 11 April.
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