'A POLITICAL PURPOSE IN THE BOROUGH'

24 APRIL 2002

There is an old anarchist slogan that was painted on walls in the 1970s: "If voting changed anything they would make it illegal." And any political scientist will tell you that it is more likely that you will be run over on the way to the polling station than that your one vote will decide an election.

But the truth is that over the last century change has only ever come from elections. Marches, demonstrations, protests, write-in campaigns all have their place, but successful political systems ensure such views are channeled through a choice of political programmes.

That is why South Tyneside's brave decision to hold a fully postal ballot for this year's Council election is interesting and important. At the last Council elections only one in four electors decided to vote. Yet I know from talking to people over the last year that they feel passionately about the future of the Borough. How to explain this difference between passion on the one hand and apathy on the other?

One big element in low voter turnout is that time seems more precious as working hours have changed and pressures have increased. Postal voting is intended to make voting easier. You can vote in your own time. And if you lose your ballot paper that has been sent through the post then you can get another one by calling the Town Hall - but you cannot vote twice, and the computer counter will not allow you to!

Last year in Gateshead, when they held an all-postal ballot, they doubled the turnout. I hope that will happen in South Tyneside. I always say to people that the most important thing is that you vote - even if it means you vote against my party!

When I first arrived in South Shields I was told by a wonderful 92 year old lady that she had attended the first meetings of the Labour Party women's section in the town - back in the 1920s. "We fought for the vote, and I remember when we didn't have it, so get out there are tell people to use that vote" she told me.

I agree with that philosophy. And interestingly in countries where they have only just got the vote, or where the vote is under threat - like the situation recently in Zimbabwe - people turn out in huge numbers. One reason I favour lowering the voting age to 16 is that it is important to get people into the voting habit early.

There is also a responsibility on the parties to present competing visions of the future - whether it be for the Borough or the country. I've been out canvassing in most of the wards in South Shields, and have found optimism that there is a positive debate starting about the future of the Borough.

I was at an inspiring meeting on Friday called to discuss the launch of a new Centre for Social Enterprise in South Tyneside. It is an example of the sort of can-do partnership we need, with public and private sectors supporting the voluntary and community sector. The Mayor - who with his wide Pat Kerr has done a great job in the last year - got it right when he said we have got to stop looking over our shoulder at the past, and stop looking down at our feet which is the present, and start looking at the horizon to the future."

That is as good a definition of the purpose of politics as you will hear. I hope you use your postal vote this year. The whole country will be looking to see if our experiment works. We do care about our future, and I hope you show it.