There was a ring on the doorbell the other evening.

This was unusual as everyone comes around to the back door with the exception of the meter reader and the postman, and they never call around in the evening. Out of curiosity I went to see who it was.

It was a bloke canvassing for his missus in the forthcoming elections.

Now I don’t know of any elections, forthcoming or otherwise so I let him go on his way and thought no more about it.

Last night I noticed a few advertisements from our illustrious Gubmint begging us to check the electoral register to make sure we are entitled to vote. I’m beginning to detect the distinct stench of an election in the offing.

Now I have no intention of voting. I haven’t done so in years for two simple reasons.

The first is that there is no point in voting for any of the major parties as they are all precisely the same. And anyway as soon as they are elected they swan off, ignoring all the election promises and proceeding to do all sorts of things I never would have voted for. If a candidate does stand with whom I agree entirely, he [or she] would just be a lone voice in the ordure which achieves nothing.

The second reason is that I think the entire system is wrong. They get elected and promptly elevate themselves out of reach of the Pleb in the street. They set their own terms and conditions. They pay themselves way too much in salary and pension. They set holidays and trips abroad [just look at the Paddy’s Day round of trips to exotic locations!] all at the expense of the taxpayer.

People say I have to vote, that every vote is important. They say that if I don’t vote then I am not entitled to complain. That is bollox. My abstinence is a vote in itself. In my view, voting for any of them whether I like the candidate or not is contributing to their system and is a tacit agreement with the system itself. The whole system is frankly a joke.

They have it right in the Ukraine!