Hordle June July 19

I LOVE TURTLES
By the time you read this article, we may
well have had both the local elections and
the European Parliament election. We
might possibly even be heading for (or
have had) a Labour or Conservative Party
leadership election, a second referendum
(less likely, I feel) or a general election! I
have certainly never known such a volatile
era in politics.
Whilst out delivering leaflets door to door
in the local elections early in May, a
number of residents expressed dismay at
the national situation and told me they
would never vote for their long-timefavourite
political Party again. Or indeed
any Party. Several complained to me
about the lack of information available to
them about their local election candidates.
Some bemoaned the dearth of choice in
candidates full stop. About the spelling
mistakes on the leaflets (not mine, I hasten
to add.) Some asked me, incredulously,
what on earth would possess me to want
to stand in an election at this time in
political history at all?
As I watched the ballot papers being
verified, clasping a lukewarm coffee, with
my opponents’ crosses appearing to be
many greater in number than my own that
I couldn’t bear to look, I began to ask
myself that question. As I read through the
spoilt ballot papers with the hastily
scribbled rude pictures and messages
across them, in the most uncivilised hours
of the morning, I asked myself that
question. “You’re all rubbish” “What a
load of old…” “I love turtles.” As I waited
to be called up to the Returning Officer’s
stand, yawning with the other candidates
who had bothered to stay up to find out
the result (last to be called at 4.30am in
the morning), I asked myself that question
again.
But even good colleagues who were not
fortunate enough to be re-elected would
agree that serving as a local councillor is a
hugely rewarding activity. It is a great
privilege to be able to represent people in
an area that you love, if only for as long as
you are elected to do so. And elections are
this strangely addictive, unavoidable
nightmare that comes with the job!
And I say to people, don’t stop voting,
don’t give up. Write “I love turtles” if you
want. But go out to the polling station and
vote in some way in all these elections!
And if you feel passionately that your
candidates are “all rubbish”, go and
become a better one. There has never
been a more exciting time to be involved in
politics, for sure! And the world urgently
needs good, new politicians!
Cllr Fran Carpenter
New Forest District Councillor
& Hampshire County Councillor
for Hordle
01425 614665 / 07867 502624
fran.carpenter@hants.gov.uk
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