Reading Total Politics

I receive a magazine called Total Politics every month, which is sent FOC to Councillors and MPs. It's also available from some local newsagents if you're interested in that kind of thing.

In the last issue there was an article about young candidates, which especially interested me as I'm one of the younger Councillors in Cheshire.

It discussed how young candidates are treated with suspicion because they're considered to be careerist. This is true (the suspicion that is, not that they're all careerist), and it's a shame because some of them are genuine "localist" people who get involved in Politics at any level because they want to represent hard working people like themselves and make things better.

Unfortunately the article only proved to strengthen the view. Some of the candidates they picked to include obviously felt they were "entitled" to a seat in Parliament.

They included Emily Benn - the latest from the infamous Benn Dynasty - who was complaining that there was no money available to her to fight her campaign. She's missed the obvious point that it's her responsibility as a candidate to raise this money. She has to get out in her local towns and villages, inspire people, and convince them to support her.

If she can't even manage to grasp that concept....then what hope is there for the world?

The biggest disappointment is that the more fools like this get publicity, the more the public assume all candidates are like that. Where have all the good people gone?!