Apathy is the friend of those who hold the power!

Voter apathy only helps those in office.

"Voting is a waste of time!"........ "They are all the same no matter who you vote for!"........ "It doesn't make any difference!"........"They're all as bad as each other!" 

There are only a few months now until the next local elections and one result is already certain. 

The Labour Party will retain their 35 year control of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council - because with 51 out of 57 councillors and only 19 seats up for election, Labour simply cannot lose no matter who the people vote for. 

A second, virtually guaranteed result will be that the usual voter apathy across all of the Tameside wards will be reflected in a very low turnout - notwithstanding the influence that the European elections may have in boosting the local vote. 

Apathy is probably the most common reason for not voting and the greatest threat to the future of democracy. 

People often refuse to vote because they do not like all the infighting and name-calling between the candidates of all the political parties and because they view politics as a vile and dirty occupation and therefore not something they wish to associate with. They see politicians - with much justification - as greedy, self-serving, corrupt individuals who seldom, if ever, keep the promises they make to get themselves elected. As a result, many people are bored with politics, switch-off, refuse to take part and ignore it completely. 

These same people, however, can often be the ones who complain the most! Whether it be about the state of the economy and the cost of living, the council tax and rising energy bills, local cuts and closures to public services, unemployment, housing, health, education, immigration or more generally about the unfairness of the society and the environment in which they live. 

Yet they continually refuse to do anything themselves to make things better. Many feel that they are making a statement by not voting and view it as a weapon to show just how disenchanted they are. What they fail to see, however, is that: 

Apathy is the friend of those who hold the power!

Local councillors and MP's prefer people who are unhappy with the way they run things NOT TO VOTE. This is because someone upset with the way things are would be unlikely to support them anyway even if they did vote. Not voting means no vote for opposing candidates, it means that those in power will stay in power, it means that those in power can just concentrate on getting their own core supporters out to vote and ignoring everyone else and as a result, they lose all fear of accountability to the voters!

Voting is a very brave and courageous act when it expresses individual opinion and the determination to right the wrongs in society; or when it reflects any strong belief in a particular issue. Voting only fails in those who vote for and blindly support, come what may, the same political party over and over again - treating their preferred political party the same as they would a football team - where no account is ever taken of the party candidates own views, experience or morals.

Why do people play the National Lottery? They do so in the hope that one day their lives and circumstances will change for the better. Their numbers may never come up - yet they try again and again every week. Why should voting be any different? People should also always vote in the same hope and belief that one day their lives and circumstances will change! 

People who do not play the National Lottery will never win it and people who do not vote will also never win. It is only those who already hold the power who will just keep on winning every time!


Carl Simmons
Denton South Independent
1st January 2014