Why Don't People Vote

When I signed up to be a Liberal Democrat candidate for Horbury and South Ossett, I started digging into our local history. I’ll be honest: I was shocked. Back in the 2019 local elections, the turnout was just 32.2%.

Think about that. Nearly 70% of our neighbors didn’t feel that any of the names on that ballot paper represented them or their community. It’s a staggering silence. It’s easy to say people are just "uninterested," but I think the truth is more uncomfortable: people don’t vote because they don’t see themselves, or their values, in the people asking for their support.

Where is the Local Identity?

For too long, we’ve seen the "old guard" take these seats for granted. When voters don't see someone sticking their head up and saying, "Look at us, and look at what we can actually achieve for our streets and our community," they switch off. If the choice feels like a carbon copy of the same old politics, why bother walking to the polling station?

We need candidates who don't just want a seat, but who want to represent the identity of Horbury and Ossett. People are waiting for someone to relate to, someone who understands that local issues aren't just bullet points in a manifesto, but the fabric of our daily lives.

The Trust Gap and the "Safe Seat" Trap

There is a deep disillusionment with the political elite. Many feel that the system is rigged for the same few voices to keep winning. This creates a "safe seat" trap: if you think your vote won't make a difference, you stay home, and the same cycle continues. But that 32% figure proves that there is a missing majority. If even a fraction of that 70% found someone they believed in, the "old guard" wouldn't know what hit them.

The Social Media Bubble & The Knowledge Gap

It doesn't help that our world is increasingly partitioned by algorithms. Our social feeds often tell us everything is fine, or that everyone thinks exactly like we do. Combine that with a political process that is often made to feel intentionally confusing, and it’s no wonder people feel alienated. We need to break that bubble by showing up in person, on the doorstep, and proving that local politics is accessible, understandable, and, most importantly, vital.

It’s Time to Speak Up

I’m sticking my head up because I refuse to believe that Horbury and South Ossett are "apathetic." I think we are just waiting for a reason to care again. We don't have to settle for the status quo. That "missing 70%" holds all the power, we just have to give them a reason to use it..

I'm now a Liberal Democrat Candidate

You don’t often get a chance to stand up and actually do something about the direction things are heading.

So I’ve taken it.

I’m standing as a paper candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Horbury and South Ossett ward (Wakefield).

And yes, I know what that means.
No campaign machine.
No expectation of winning.
No grand illusion that I’ll be walking into the council chamber any time soon.

But that’s not really the point.

Where this all started

Politics has always been there in the background for me.

I used to argue with my grandad about it when I was younger. Not in a hostile way. We just enjoyed the back and forth. The ideas, the principles, the “what ifs”. It was never about shouting louder. It was about thinking harder.

When I was old enough to vote, I did what most people should do but many don’t. I looked around properly.

What do I actually believe?

I landed on a set of values that felt consistent and grounded.

Social justice matters.
We should be working with Europe, not turning our backs on it.
Power should be pushed down, not hoarded at the top.
The NHS should be protected and strengthened, not chipped away at.

And that was also what the brand new SDP (Social Democrat Party) believed in too, over time, that lined up with the values of the Liberal Democrats.

So why stand if you’re not going to win?

Because doing nothing guarantees nothing changes.

Standing as a paper candidate still puts a name on the ballot. It gives people a choice. It gets the Liberal Democrats visible in an area where that visibility might otherwise disappear.

And it gives me a platform to talk about their values.

Not a big one.
Not a polished one.
But a real one.

I’ve already started doing small, practical things locally. Reporting potholes. Flagging issues. Paying attention to what’s actually happening on the ground.

It’s not glamorous.
But it’s real.

And that matters more than a leaflet full of promises.

The bigger reason

Let’s be honest about what’s going on right now.

There’s a shift happening in parts of the UK. You can see it, hear it, feel it. The rise of right-wing populism. The noise getting louder. The tone getting sharper (and nastier).

And alongside that, something else has crept in.

Open racism.
Not hidden. Not coded. Just… there. And yes Reform, I'm blaming you.

This rise of rasism is something that should worry people.

It worries me.

Now, I’ll say this clearly. Not everyone flying a St George’s flag is racist. Of course they’re not. But when that symbol starts appearing alongside rhetoric that excludes, divides, and blames, it changes how it feels. It changes what it signals.

And I don’t think we should just shrug that off.

If you believe in a fair, open, outward-looking country, you don’t sit quietly while that grows.

You push back.

And that’s not all about Reform that worries me, Farage is a close friend of Donald Trumps, he respects his policies and approach to politics, so yes, if Reform ever win a General Election, we can expect Trump-style politics here!

Why this matters, even if it’s small

This isn’t about winning a seat.

It’s about putting a marker down.

It’s about saying that there are still people who believe in cooperation over division. Evidence over noise. Fairness over blame.

It’s about reminding people that there are alternatives.

Even if only a handful of people see my name on that ballot and think, “Actually, yeah… that’s closer to what I believe,” then it’s worth it.

Because change doesn’t always start with a landslide.

Sometimes it starts with one extra name on a ballot paper.

Closing notes

I’m not a career politician.
I’m not trying to be one.

I’m just someone who still thinks this stuff matters enough to show up.

And right now, that feels like the least we should be doing.