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I’ve been to vote. I’m not saying what shade I voted but lets just say it wasn’t towards the cooler end of the political spectrum. I find it really difficult to deal with the fact that a lot of people won’t even bother to vote though. The chance to have a real say in what goes on in your local constituency comes round every five years, it’s hardly a bother to register when the card comes through the door and then walk along to local polling station.

Women who don’t vote baffle me even more. We’ve not even had the right to vote for a century as universal sufferage for women (over 21 which was the same as men back then) didn’t come into force until 1928, although women over 30 were able to vote from 1918 – providing they were householders, married to a householder or held a university degree and it was only lowered to 18 for both sexes in 1970.  People died so women could vote. It wasn’t just a silly little whim, it was a campaign to enfranchise a group of people who, until that point, had only been able to influence things through the back door – HSH Princess von Lieven, a Russian noblewoman, is probably one of the most famous of these political operators. Married to the Russian Ambassador to Great Britain, she used her intelligence and beauty to influence such great statesmen as the Duke of Wellington and Prince Metternich.

So why don’t people vote? Apathy is the usual cause, generally followed by an ignorance of the political system and a general feeling of impotence that their vote will make a difference. But it will, with a turn out of only around 60%, it means that almost half of this country’s eligible voters are letting someone else decide their fate. Ah well, by this time tomorrow it will be over all bar the shouting.