It is now less than 50 days till the elections and I am waiting for my copy of the electoral role so that I can get my 10 signatures to complete my nomination papers. The whole process is a little daunting for an independent candidate and I am sure if I was standing for a political party a lot of the work would be done for me by an election agent, however I think I have got my head around the process so far and hopefully by 9th April all the relevant papers will have been submitted and I will be an official candidate.
If you have read my first pre-election blog you will know that I, like many, have lost my faith in the main political parties and have serious concerns about the way parliament and local government are being managed, The recent news coverage concerning Lord Ashcroft certainly highlights some of the problems that are angering the general public, click here to read the BBC news coverage of the Ashcroft controversy.
Anyway, back to the pre-election process. I have decided to stand for Drake Ward as it is the area I live in and know best. It is a small ward with big issues and a population mix dominated by university students and elderly residents both with very different needs. I do feel that it is important that we look after both parties; The University and it's students are essential to the Plymouth economy and provide a much needed extra revenue source for local businesses. We need to balance the need to look after our students whilst still protecting the residents and caring for the local area. As our elderly population grows we need to ensure that the elderly residents are not forgotten and that they are cared for within the community. I have seen some great efforts by local community groups to ensure that all areas of the community are cared for and given the opportunity to integrate.
So now all I can do is wait to hear back from the electoral office, I will keep you posted on developments.
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