Each and every election that passes we continue to see a worrying trend of increasing voter apathy. A 65% turnout at the general election, just over 30% for the local and European elections, and a shameful 10% for some PCC elections.
We need a thriving, engaged democracy. Frankly I am embarrassed by how the political system is viewed as increasingly irrelevant by swathes of people.
The expenses scandal was a plague on all houses, a toxic combination of disgraceful behaviour and, in some cases, downright greed. Residents were angry and even now, years on, some people are still adamant they will never vote again. As the new generation of politicians elected after the expenses scandal, we have to rebuild this broken trust. Rightly, all expenses are now open, transparent and free to be scrutinised. Unsurprisingly this has both brought down the cost of politics and removed headline grabbing claims. For my part, I have always been careful; refusing to claim for food, first-class travel, housing costs in Swindon, mobile phone, while my accommodation, staff and office costs are shared. This has helped me save taxpayers about £50,000 per year.
Politics has also fallen off the agenda. Fewer people are now reading a national, or local newspaper. With the explosion of TV channels it is easy to avoid watching the news. Long-gone are the days when there was almost no choice but to watch the BBC news. To counter this, it is never been more important for MPs to be local, visible and approachable. I am proud to be a local resident. I believe this makes a difference. We also have to embrace new technologies, with increasing numbers engaging through Facebook and Twitter.
I am also repeatedly told that politics is boring. Politicians seemingly have become scared to be sparky, passionate and individual – playing it safe. One senior politician was dismissed as 'boring, snoring' after a Newsnight interview and to be honest it could have applied to any number of politicians / interviews. We have to show more enthusiasm, not be afraid to put forward arguments of principle and passion.
However, I have hope. This week Boris Johnson provided a real sprinkling of political magic on a visit to Nationwide. Over 2000 crammed into the Atrium, enthused, engaged and captivated by a politician. He had the ability to put across our positive, constructive message of how we have transformed our increasingly confident town. People listened, they discussed and I have no doubt will be more likely to vote – a very good thing.
I love being an MP. I wouldn't swap it for anything. We all need to remember just how lucky we are and we have a duty to win back the public's enthusiasm.
