No-opinion poll.

Did you exercise your franchise yesterday? (Ooooh-er missus, as Frankie Howerd might have said). I bet many of you didn't. Turnout at local elections has traditionally been poor at 25-30%, and even with the (dangerous in my view) increased availability of postal voting, it is unlikely to be much better. Why the apathy? I think it's mostly down to the perception that local authorities hold so little power these days - the majority of what they do, they do because central government requires them to do it. A look at the various leaflets that have come through my door in the past few weeks lends support to this view. Sitting councillors seeking re-election are reduced to trumpeting such world shattering successes as getting a narrow pavement widened, or erecting a flag-pole on the village green. Even the level of council tax is more driven by central government demands than by local issues. So unless you have a personal axe to grind, or are a creature of habit - like me - chances are you didn't bother to vote.