Readers may recall that there are a couple of vacancies on the Parish Council. Naturally, in a vibrant democracy, it is better by far to fill them with individuals with a democratic mandate. And so, the process of advertising the vacancies has begun, with the placing of a notice of vacancy (alright, two notices of vacancy) by Mid Suffolk District Council.Anyone on the electoral roll may petition for an election to be called in order to fill the vacancies but, if nobody does, the Parish Council may choose to do so by co-option.
In truth, very few parishes in Suffolk hold elections, and local democracy at a truly grassroots level is usually in name only,
a case of finding people willing to serve. One might argue that this leads to democracy by 'people like us' for 'people like us', as is usually the case when those in charge are tasked with recruiting new blood.This presents me with a dilemma. As a democrat, do I petition for an election, knowing that there is little likelihood of a contest, or do I save everyone money and await a co-option? Of course, if my suspicions as to the likely level of interest are correct, I would probably be elected unopposed...
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