For once they had some power

London went for Boris, despite all the smearing by Ken, the Graduian and others. Voters in Southampton decided they liked the Tory budget proposals there, with efficiency savings and council tax discounts for OAPs, rather than the increases from the other side. The result in both cases was a massive swing.

People do not turn out to vote, like the Tory voters in outer London, except when there is a chance to have some effect.

Let's be honest, politicians court our votes and then forget us until the next election when they will dangle sweet promises before us again or conceal what they can from us.

As I have observed before, much of the anger felt towards the EU, (- does anyone doubt that if there had been a referendum it would have been roundly rejected, and this discredits Brown and Co.?), is that our lives are increasingly dominated by decision makers with no mandate, who are corrupt and adept at concealment. In other words in Europe we never have an election at which we can turn them out and put the others in.

When there is a choice we react to poor performance by using our collective democratic power. The trouble is that local politicians (- councillors) have very little power, with so much controlled by the National Government who pass laws and control spending.

I have always been suspicious of the power given to the new type of mayor, but I am beginning to see that "election by results" is a good way of holding a mayor to account. There is the added advantage, at least in the case of London, that the Mayor is in charge of policing, transport and education, with real freedom to ignore central Government. In other words he or she can pursue policies offered to and accepted by the voters. If there is failure, then a new mayor will replace him.

The advantages seem so obvious, so long as there are safeguards. (In the case of London the design needs improvement - it was cobbled together by Tony Blair for his own purposes. The elected assembly must have a greater scrutiny role. Ken Livingstone was able to ignore it fairly easily.)

And if elected mayors, why not elected police chiefs? Patently the police are not providing the service electors want, partly because London imposes so many constraints.

Let us have "power to the people", that is have power devolved as far down to ordinary people as it is possible. Let us have Politicians who are accountable and answerable, real competition for the favour of the voters.

If we did this, I could make two predictions:

1) The turn-out at elections would be much higher, without the need for dangerous developments like postal and on-line voting.

2) Decisions made would reflect much more the wishes of the (majority of) the voters.