In Electoral Campaigns scandals the big losers are the voters

In Electoral Campaigns scandals the big losers are the voters

When some people might think that the big losers due to scandals that occur during political campaigns are the political parties taking part in the electoral campaign, the big losers are always the voters.

In 2012, the big theme was ‘Has Ken Livingstone paid tax?’ The mass media transformed the election into a circus and the big questions and big answers that people wanted to hear about were never mentioned. All we got was the usual set of lies and demagogy.

In 2013, the big theme are the political scandals involving Nazi salutes, Jewish candidates left out, homophobic websites and people who joined UKIP after they ceased to be members of other political parties or political movements. Once again, the mass media have not paid enough attention to the big questions and the big answers that voters want to hear about have not been mentioned.

If we go on and on like this, less and less people are going to vote because this confirms the fact that politicians have not been listening, are not listening and, more likely than not, will never listen. If Democracy is repeatedly devalued, there will be a day when Democracy will no longer be around.

In 2012, after a constant barrage of lies, smears and persecution, 60 per cent of those entitled to vote did not bother to vote and 60 per cent was the average of abstention both in London and outside London. The Elections of Police Commissioners were even worse in terms of percentages of abstention.

2013 could have been the year when all of us could pay attention to the big issues. Instead, the mass media and the mainstream political parties have created a circus that degrades Democracy.