Yesterday evening, I received the annual email from Herefordshire Council instructing me to make sure that all information pertaining to registered voters in my household is up to date. Having complied with their demand, my mind wondered to next year, and the general elections which will b held, both here, and in the United States.

I realise that, unless you are a political junkie like me, this is hardly exciting, but it is important. That said, I’m not going to urge you to vote for one party or another. How you vote, dear reader, is entirely your own business.

However, what I would urge everyone who lives in a democracy to do, whenever there is the opportunity, is to vote. Yes, there is the oft-repeated argument that men and women fought and died in order to protect democracy. But causing people to feel guilty is an unsatisfactory way of going about things. Instead, I would argue that voting is likely to raise the calibre of politicians.

At the next UK general election, a number of MPs will be retiring. This is for several reasons. Some feel that they are too old, and others have decided that they want to do other things before they get too old. But most of them are retiring because of the opprobrium heaped upon them by the public. The antics of a few have caused many to be tarred with the same brush. The outrageous behaviour of a few narcissists and charlatans has created the widespread view that all politicians are a corrupt bunch of good-for-nothings, who have only entered parliament as a means of feathering their own nests. There is, therefore, no point in voting for any of them, because they’re all as bad as each other.

This is, of course, nonsense. If one wants to get rich, Parliament is not the place to do it. There are more remunerative, and less stressful career options. There is also the fact that most of those who are retiring are decent, diligent MPs, who care passionately about the people and places they represent. The unnecessary levels of abuse they receive is proving too much for them. Whereas many of those who are toughing it out and wish to remain in Parliament, are those narsisists and charlatans.

If people continue to abuse politicians, yet refuse to vote, they will end up with the corrupt scoundrels they claim to despise. For it will only be they who put their names forward. Decent people will opt for a quieter life, where neither they nor their nearest and dearest will receive all of that vitriol.

If wee want good politicians, politicians should have a good electorate. As I said, who you vote for is your business. But please, at the next time of asking, vote.