UK local elections about as exciting as 2023 ‘patriotic’ Hong Kong election. I voted for the one candidate I’d actually met
- Low turnout in local elections in the UK reflected a lack of passion on the part of candidates whose online manifestos were general and vague
- Ex-Hong Kong District Councillor Andy Ng Siu-hong was among the winners. In my district, my votes went to a local party, and to the one candidate I’d spoken to
Britain is gearing up for a general election later this year. But the country is not exactly gripped by election fever.
The result provides further evidence that the opposition Labour Party, with a 20-point lead in the opinion polls, is on course to win a landslide in the general election.
But local elections are not always fought on national issues. Those who can be bothered to vote are often more concerned about matters closer to home.
Finding out who was standing in my ward, where three of the 39 seats on the Tunbridge Wells Council in Kent were up for grabs, required time and effort.
There were 13 candidates representing seven parties. Only one, a Conservative, called on us in person.
The party manifestos, found online, were expressed in general terms. While the major parties squabble about the economy, immigration and the National Health Service, the big issue in Tunbridge Wells was the fines handed out to motorists for unwittingly driving in a bus lane.
Controversial boundary changes led to concerns my village would be marginalised. The apparent lack of interest in this rural outpost suggested that might be the case.
It was not easy to know who to vote for. In the end, I opted for the only candidate I have actually met, a long-standing councillor who lives nearby. He happens to be a Conservative, but I did not hold that against him. At least he will stand up for the village.
My other two votes went to candidates from the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, a party formed in 2018 by residents disenchanted with national politics. It promises “politics for people not politicians”. That is a good start.
Elsewhere, there was a victory for former Hong Kong District Councillor Andy Ng Siu-hong, who stood for the Liberal Democrats in Berkshire. It is always good to see people from Hong Kong flourishing here.
British elections offer a diverse range of candidates. Count Binface, who campaigned with a dustbin on his head, stood for London Mayor. He won 24,260 votes!
But the turnout in Tunbridge Wells, at 37 per cent, was, like most parts of the country, disappointing. Much better than the 28 per cent recorded in Hong Kong’s first “patriotic” District Council elections last year, but still not a shining example of participatory democracy. We can only hope for more enthusiasm in the general election.
