Are you one of a growing number of people who has developed an allergy to politicians?

Common symptoms range in degree. Mild suffers can suffer from:
– laughter out of shock;
– speechlessness;
– an inability to listen to the news for longer than 5 seconds before turning it off;
– rather confusingly, some sufferers have conversely reported persistent seeking of news providers mistakenly thinking the news is a new TV drama.

More severe reactions include:
– sudden onset terrets;
– tears of despair;
– incandescent rage that makes a red mist look like candy floss on holiday.

The most severe sufferers however have reported apathy to all politicians and politics entirely.

Of course this is all just a light hearted joke. Most of the public have been apathetic to politicians for decades, the naive minority like me for some reason sought to hope against all the evidence regardless.

I do worry about the political space though, the last 8 or 9 years of British politics haven’t inspired the confidence that we should be able to expect: a PM partying during their own lockdowns, expenses scandals and a regular distaste for honesty.

And that is why I have started this blog. I want a place to provide a little hope, to highlight how things should be and to encourage a more healthy debate in the general public. We aren’t all going to agree on everything, that is fine. We should all however be willing to listen to the views of others and be honest with each other. Our politicians must be there to lead by example.

We have to hope it can be better.