Thought For The Day – Thursday 1st May 2025
Democracy Matters
Today is, Thursday 1st May 2025, “Local Elections Day”.
Registered citizens, with photographic identification, will be voting at local “Polling Stations” by casting their vote in “Ballot Boxes”.
All this is made possible by all who volunteer to organise and supervise, community leaders and all who respectfully stand to represent.
Elections, and democracy, are so important. It is all about having a say, raising a voice, empowering, leading and listening. Indeed, the word “democracy” is derived from the Greek “Dēmokratia”, meaning “rule of the people”.
Around the world, citizens have died for the opportunity to vote, like the Suffragette Emily Davison at the Derby horse race in 1913, pictured above and explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W_URTWjgR0
In Australia, voting is compulsory.
Local elections are as important as national elections in many ways for local elections also directly affect our lives. For example, as regards today, different types of councils are responsible for a variety of local services. These include: care for the elderly and disabled; repairing roads; collecting rubbish; recycling; housing; and education.
There will be six elections in the U.K. today for a Mayor. There will also be a “By-Election” for a new Member of Parliament in one constituency or area.
Political commentators and scientists will make links between local results and the national picture and vice versa.
These particular elections today were last held in 2021. At the time, they marked something of a tentative step on the way back to a new “normality” after a global pandemic was announced by the United Nations in 2020. Then, with, at the time, large general public approval, of pandemic leadership and management, including the establishment of a vaccine, and support of people’s jobs, and following a very convincing General Election victory of 2019, the Conservatives, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, were very successful.
There have been a number of changes since then. After the “change” General Election of 2024, Sir Keir Starmer is Prime Minister, leading a Labour government, with a huge majority of Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, both at home and abroad. The Conservatives have a new leader, Kemi Badenoch M.P., a representative for a constituency near us, North West Essex. There were two further Conservative Prime Ministers after Boris Johnson. Reform UK did not exist in their current form in 2021. Now political analysts are increasingly speaking of historic “Five Party Politics” in the U.K. with the Liberal Democrat Party, Reform UK and The Green Party all making significant gains.
Furthermore, there have been, and are, global changes, challenges and opportunities. These impact the national, and even local, picture. “What goes on there affects what happens here”.
“A week is a long time in Politics”, allegedly stated the former Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, representing Labour. Another former Prime Minister, Harold Macmillian, representing the Conservatives, said “Events” were the key determinant of, and greatest challenge in, politics.
Politics is a fascinating and vital subject. We greatly recommend you take detailed interest in it. Politics, presented as it should be in a balanced way, for students to give their appropriate and respectful view, features in our Citizenship lessons at T.B.S.H.S.
Every academic year, Year 10 and Sixth Form students visit Parliament.
We have an outstanding Politics department at T.B.S.H.S., which has a vital place in our School, past, present and future, wonderfully led by Mr. Conquest. Thank you to Mr. Conquest, the Politics staff and the Politics students for all they do in this vital area of school and society, learning and life.
