The Protest Vote

Now with 63 MPs we are considered a main stream party. It's great that we are now being taken seriously with a new leader who gets more consideration by the media and the other parties taking up ideas on which we have been campaigning for a considerable time.

One of those campaigns has been to make parliamentary expenses more transparent, led by our neighbouring Lib Dem MP from Lewes, Norman Baker.

Sadly many decent honest MPs from all parties are now tarred with the same brush as the greedy cheats and the frauds. Not just MPs but politicians at all levels are being included. I fear that the turnout for the County and European elections on Thursday will be low with substantial numbers who see not voting a suitable protest.

My second fear is that there will be a large number of spoilt papers. This will however demonstrate a need for a 'none of the above' box to appear on ballot papers. That is one of the many options which need to be considered in the talk of electoral reform which it is now acknowledged is essential.

There is plenty of electioneering going on with this subject. I find it hard to believe that David Cameron will lead the Conservatives down the route of Proportional Representation or a similar system. But if he does don't forget which party it was who has campaigned the hardest over the longest period for this. The Liberal Democrats of course!

On Thursday don't forget too the most sensible place to put your protest vote, particularly if you are looking for change. In the traditional place '“ with the Liberal Democrats.