No 10 will be watching council polls

10:06am Monday 14th April 2008

MY poll card arrived this week for the Bolton local elections on May 1.

One of the advantages of voting here, rather than in Zimbabwe, is that Cliff Morris and his Labour colleagues are unlikely - should things go badly - to stop the results being declared while they ponder ways of hanging on to power.

That is one of the upsides of a mature democracy.

Downsides include the fact that most people cannot be bothered voting and take no interest in the affairs of the council unless they are affected personally.

It is not very fashionable, I know, but I appreciate the willingness of candidates to expose themselves to all the cynical whingeing and moaning bound to come their way should they be elected.

This might only be a local contest, but every result from now on is important in the context of the next general election - likely to be held in 2010.