The election this Thursday, May 6th is more important than many people realise.
With the coronavirus pandemic, these elections have been delayed for over a year with many of the seats up for voting having not changed since before the monumental Brexit vote of 2016.
The number of open positions across the country has even caused the day to be dubbed ‘Super Thursday”, due to the fact that all the major parties and their strategic teams are looking at these results as a referendum on how the public feel about their work and their policies, making it as close to a midterm election as you could possibly have in Britain.
For many voters whose constituencies are eligible, this is the first time that you will have to decide whether you want to revisit the decisions you made in 2019, or whether you want to try an elicit change in your community.
In Brighton specifically, while the seats do reflect nationally, the fact that the Green Party majority is so slender, and that it only exists due to Labour resignations means that it could be one of the most important votes made to decide who runs the whole city for the remainder of this election cycle.
This decision therefore comes down to how well you perceive the current council have served you, has there been any positive or negative changes since 2019 and are you currently happy with the outlook for your city?
Should voting trend the way it did previously, then Labour have the possibility of taking back the control of the council which would be welcomed by some and hated by others.
On a national scale, due in part to the lack of awareness of many in politicians such as Labour Leader Sir Kier Starmer and others, the Conservatives are heavily tipped to gain larger shares of voting and have a stronger mandate with which to govern with.
Both for the country, and for the local council, this election may be one of the most important in recent times, so if you want to make a difference and actually get to decide who governs and what changes you get to see in your local and national community, then make your voice heard.
The future of Brighton as either a Green or a Labour governed council could literally end up depending on only a few votes.
Photo Credit:Steve Houghton-Burnett
