Today, for the first time in ages, I exercised my democratic right and cast a full five votes in three separate elections;
the vote for the London Mayor
the vote for the London Assembly
and the vote for London’s MEPs
For postal voters like me, this was no easy task but londonelects.org.uk provided a handy 18-step guide to help me put crosses in boxes, fold ballot papers and seal envelopes. Elsewhere on the londonelects.org.uk, there are interesting presentations like At The Polling Station and The Lifecycle Of A Vote.
Before making my mark, I reviewed a wide range of material in order to ensure that I was aware of all the issues. Of all the information I devoured, I have a particular soft spot for the
Pointless Pledges that Danny Baker‘s listeners would propose, were they in the running for Mayor Of London. These some real crackers include filling up the new Swiss Re building in the City with liquid and turn it into a giant lava lamp and breeding a giant hamster to run inside the London Eye.
Meanwhile, SWMBO mentioned the ‘pay it forward’ principle earlier this evening (more of which later if I can bear it) and this reminded me of a recent phone call from my Dad. He rang a few weeks back to ask which way we’d like him to vote. Confused, I asked him what he was on about. He said that he wanted us to advise him on how we were voting as he wished to vote the same way. When I asked him why he simply stated that, in the twilight of his years, he preferred to use his vote to benefit us and the children, trusting that we’d be voting sensibly for ourselves, our fellow wo/man and the planet. We don’t always see eye to eye but his integrity and his concern for others always holds my respect.