The General Election should morally coincide with the Local Elections

The case for the General Election to be held on May 6th to coincide with the Local Elections is a strong one. This country, deep in recession, cannot afford two separate elections. It would be an absolute waste of tax payers’ money and an unnecessary expense for the economy. If the elections were on two separate dates it will be obvious electioneering by the Government, by attempting to influence the votes by the timing of the General Election.

The last General Election cost £80m to organise, although there are thousands of extra costs which could increase that figure. As of March 2009 the deficit stands at 55% of our whole Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Government will put extra strain on our fragile economy by having two separate election dates. EU Regulations enforced by the Maastricht Treaty consider a country to be in debt when they reach a deficit at 60% of their GDP, at which point the EU council could decide to enforce sanctions on the UK.

The situation is dire, and needs to be addressed now. We cannot risk sanctions and we cannot jeopardise the future of this country. The primary concern for any Government should be the reduction of the deficit not election success. Therefore having the General and Local elections on the same day would be the perfect measure of cutting costs on an essentially expensive operation.

It is a well known fact in previous elections that Governments have all abused their ability to manipulate the public and the timing of the General Election to suit their needs. It is common practice for all political parties to coerce the electorate; we shouldn’t have to stand for this, and we should be free of conscience to make our own vote, we should be independent.

The Labour Government seems to only be concerned with election success rather than reducing the deficit. Ian Dunt of Politics.co.uk in his commentary hit the nail on the head of Gordon Brown, “Now, he puts off the date as long as possible, in a vain search for political fortune”. The Prime Minister should be running the country instead of searching for a miracle to keep his political tenure. It seems that the Government is far more concerned with election success than running the country.

This farce surrounding the dates of the 2010 election can be easily resolved. Have them on the same day, it saves money and makes things simpler for everyone; after all we are paying for it.

Freedom to listen

One thing that sets independent candidates apart from other politicians is their ability to listen. Independents are free to take their own lead and listen objectively to debate without the pressure of party whips. But not all groups without a whip system can be said to be independent. Groups of politicians campaigning on a unified issue could be influenced by the ideology of the group, raising concerns over the individual candidate’s ability to represent the views and concerns of their constituents. Members could easily succumb to pressure from their peers within the group- even without a whip system in place there could be an implied whip, making the group’s ideology a priority.

That does not mean groups of independents are unable to come together and agree on issues. Equally independents should be free to have their own opinions and ideas while finding a common ground with others. But they should be careful not to blindly follow the ideas of any group without considering their conscience and the relevance to the people they represent.

The Independent Network is a loose association which is not only against the whip system but sees flaws in the whole party political system and its abuse as a route to power. It wants Parliament to return to a place of constructive debate, rather than continuing as a stage for politicians to act out a party political drama.

Statistics show the public is hungry for an alternative to the three established parties, but creating more organisations whose members must also conform to a fixed policy is not the answer. The Independent Network aims to promote independent candidates as a credible alternative to voters, free from the ideals of a group and unique in their ability to listen to the needs of their constituents. This will in turn allow the public to vote for individuals and the policies they individually believe in, rather than what a leader or faction imposes.

The Independent Network is holding a meeting on September 25th to discuss how to support candidates in the upcoming general election. To find out more click here.