|
||
| Why I’m voting YES in the Parish Poll and the consultation. |
Presentation to the Public Meeting by Tracy Grimshaw. |
|
| Why every vote matters. | The alternative to building on Gurkha Square. | |
What difference does my vote make? They will do what they want anyway!
Will one vote make a difference?
If that many people are saying NO what’s one more YES?
Who cares if I vote or not?
What difference does my vote make? They will do what they want anyway!
Yes consultations and parish Polls are advisory, they have no standing to enforce the results on decision makers, however they do give an indication as to the desire of the community and as such are a vital resource if they manage to engage.
If 1% - 15% respond then this is generally a response from the disenfranchised who wish to fight a cause. The government are trying to stop Parish Polls for this reason, as they are a way for those against to rally support whilst those who just want the status quo leave it to carry on. Parish polls with a response rate of 4% have been seen as extreme examples of this and have been considered an abuse of process. Our Poll response was 5.4%.
It is therefore vital for change or to avoid unwanted change that a response rate nearer 30% is achieved. If not it is likely that the resulting action may appear to be undemocratic, as the result may be ignored, or just deemed to be non-representative.
Will one vote make a difference?
Yes.
Locally an election was lost on 5 votes.
If that many people are saying NO what’s one more YES?
Press and social media can easily offer up a minority view as having a majority following. It gives those who wish to be the opportunity to be as loud as they like. We hope that our campaign is showing all sides so that people can make an informed decision of their own. Don’t just follow like sheep, the wolf may be leading you off a cliff.
Who cares if I vote or not?
Local business for one. The one thing I hear from local business is they want what Fleet wants. There is a genuine concern that the consultation will not tell the true picture due to lack of responses. As such the majority (non voters) may well lose out due to apathy.
This decision has to be right for Fleet, and if we lose an opportunity to give our Town a boost due to people not caring enough to tick a box and post it, then that would be a very big shame indeed.