If truth be said there is nothing like a General Election to bring politics out of the woodwork and into popular daily discussion. Regardless of which party you support it seems everyone is suddenly an expert and worthy of owning their own swing-o-meter.
It is hardly surprising considering on every turn you can’t help but either bump into a canvassing politician or a lamppost ravaged by garden boards in party colours. (There is a sense of sympathy for the losing candidate having to remove these later.) But you can gage the euphoria created and driven by a public interest in politics.
Paigaam has been following these elections with great interest for sometime. You will remember the interview with Paula Sharriff on her selection followed by Jo Cox and Imtiaz Ameen respectively once they were announced.
We also asked the PPCs question you sent in.
Then the Election Specials on Radio IMWS, which allowed PPCs from Batley and Spen and Dewsbury to be quizzed by the public. Its popularity can be gaged by the volume of questions the studio received.
We then had the Hustings which brought people out on a Sunday evening and many listening to the live feed via the online radio.
So with all this engagement is there apathy amongst voters?
Well by the radio shows and meeting people in meetings clear the line of party division is not as vast as it once was. This has resulted in voters hopping from one party to the other, but also in voters failing to see the difference their vote would really make.
But then we see the 9000 voters who registered to vote in Kirklees on the last day and the over 400,000 nationally.
You could ask the question why so many registered on the last day, but instead lets say it is because they really want to vote after being carried away by the Al-Hikmah Hustings the night before!
