The world has moved on, and so should we. When we vote in local elections we still use the old Ward system. This has turned lots of voters off. (less than 45% of people bother voting).

The Ward system, which came from the days of horses and carts, is no longer relevant, Originally it was based on “communities of interest” however, we have moved on and now use the whole District for work, leisure, sport, culture etc. Where we live has little to do with specific issues that require a specific Ward representation. In fact the current Wards are artificially kept “alive” by changing boundaries to make the numbers fit. The Ward system gives us limited candidates, we often cannot vote for the best people because they are not in your Ward. And upon election all Councillors swear an oath to represent the whole District-so, why not get the Councillors elected by the whole District?

If we elect Councillors at large they will be elected by the total voting population of our District, and will be accountable to the whole District. Half our Councillors agree, the other half does not and cling to the past. Support this change for better local representation, better local government, better decisions.