...makes me feel all like significant and shit. I used to say its the most important thing we ever do - I don't think that's quite right, I think being kind to those around us tops it but its fairly significant all the same.

Although perhaps most important thing about democracy is that people (like me) feel that they are doing something important, that they have a say in how their lives are governed. We don't have elections to find the best person for the job - that would be done by CVs, aptitude tests and interviews and experts would choose. No, we have elections to prevent the populus revolting by making them feel they have had a say. And I suppose to stop revolting people from running things - although Hitler's election mid-last century and the election of BNP candidates to London councils more recently undermine that preposition.

So I took much less effort into casting my vote than I usually do. All I read was that booklet (after picking it up from where I'd hurled it on accidentally opening it to the BNP candidate; incidentally he comes across as a veritible saint next to the Christian Choice guy), I kept meaning to read more but kept putting it off till I was on the train home this evening working out who to put my cross next to. That I'd rather Ken rather than Boris is a no-brainer so my second choice mayoral vote went there. But there's still the symbolic (one might say long-term strategic) first choice vote - I was erring between Lib Dem (the party I tend to vote for most often), Left List and Green. In the end I plumped for Green - but mostly for their social policies with the Green ones as a side-benefit. I was a bit fustrated by the Left List as it seemed a bit off the plot - lots of stuff that the mayor can't do so much about - the NHS, education, Iraq. There appears to be a need for a more thoughtful socialist politics at the moment.