I've often thought that, in this country, we tend to over-estimate the importance of the national and under-estimate the importance of the local. Hence fewer people vote in local elections than vote in national ones - and (I'm convinced) partly as a result of that successive national governments have been able to emasculate local governments.

But local issues affect our day-to-day lives as much as national ones and, in some cases, more so.

We have a Lib Dem MP where I live and he is more in touch with, and has worked harder for, this community than any MP we have ever had. This is the main reason why I will be voting Lib Dem.