Politicians in western liberal democracies mostly come from privileged backgrounds.

They bring their ideas of compromise into making decisions, measuring how much to gain from how little to give. In Dictatorships the top jobs are grabbed by ruthless opportunists. So no wonder the world is in a mess. 2024 will be a difficult year, whoever is in charge will be thought wrong. The media promotes favourites, but who would actually do the best job is a different question. The cleverest presenters know enough about politics to bank their salary and keep out of the action!

The Post Office scandal exposes flaws in our Parliamentary system. We have had Post Office ministers through both Labour and Tory governments, including a Liberal Democrat during the coalition. Guy Fawkes was said to be the only person who went to Parliament intending to keep his word. More recently, Ben Wallace stuck to his post as Defence Secretary regardless of party politics, implementing our unanimous British support for Ukraine while other countries dithered.

Healthy seas depend on the deep ocean stirring up nutrients to support life, which in turn drive the food chain right up to the Haddock and Cod in the chippy! What nutrients fuel our politicians? A church leader commented that a bishop has a flock, carrying a crosier which is a symbolic shepherd's crook, but may not have actually smelt any sheep! We propel MPs into Parliament where careers progress like snakes and ladders. The original idea was for an MP to represent the locality in a leadership role!

Magna Carta established that power would pass from the king to the barons and down to the people; King John readily agreed to avoid being thrown in the Thames in his heavy suit of armour! Democracy has since been passed down and watered down, leaving us governed today by activists and middle class bureaucrats, guided by wealthy lawyers.

David Reed, the Tory candidate in the new constituency writes: "I'm coming in knowing how the state works, understanding how to bid for central government money, how to write an effective bid, which is very, very important, and then how to actually work with relevant authorities to actually get on the job and actually deliver those things." (Exmouth Journal, 27th December 2023, p11). Other candidates will most likely have their own activist backgrounds in many different colours! Whomever we elect will no doubt serve us right!

The problems are obvious. Global warming and the cost-of-living are mainly driven by world events, whatever politicians may shout. We, the people of East Devon who put food on our tables, need to have the homeless better housed, including the remaining handful of rough sleepers, mental health better supported with good social interaction, young people given help throughout their inevitably turbulent teenage years, and we need a greater sense of caring all round, especially towards the disabled and the needy.

Fortunately, local people are rising to the challenge through volunteer groups giving time and resources to the Food Bank, to Open Door, to Citizens Advice, and many tens or hundreds of volunteer groups around the area. "Actually getting on the job and delivering those things" to quote the new candidate, without waiting for politicians to establish policies and procedures.

This is real democracy, society growing from its roots, creating a constituency fit to be represented to the rest of the world by our MP!