Star comment: Remember to vote on local level

In the modern era, there has been the creation of a unitary authority, services that people once took for granted have been taken away and the resources of local councils have been put under more pressure than ever before.

The voices of our local representatives have never been more important and so it is essential that this Thursday people participate in local elections.

At the moment, the news is understandably dominated by talk of the general election and increasingly it seems to be viewed as a contest between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, rather than one run on political issues – with Brexit being the notable exception.

The same scenario does not apply locally, however, and there are myriad issues affecting local people that politicians can affect. So while the issues of local park closures, health services, social care and community amenities might not grab the same attention as Mrs May’s latest outfit, the Brexit negotiations, or a Labour frontbencher’s latest interview gaffe, they are no less important.

Local councils have a tremendous amount of power to make our lives better or, it follows, more problematic. Their budgets have been squeezed, yet they still have considerable resources and are charged with executing enormous responsibility on behalf of constituent residents.

Fairer funding on adult social care is a key issue that affects people across the board and while it is one strongly tied to government grants, local councillors can still have considerable influence. Every council in the country is struggling as it looks for a way to cover increasing costs while trying to maintain other services. People have the right to ask candidates of the left, right and centre what level of priority they place on it.

Generating new revenues is also important for local councils and the region has benefitted from enormous inward investment in recent times, which has delivered jobs to residents. The future of the county’s education system and the way our children are taught can be affected by decisions made on the ground.

There are other critical issues that can be affected by the people we elect on Thursday. And so while the local elections might not seem as sexy as the main event, it would be remiss not to fully participate.

There are parts of the world that do not have the vote. All of us should use ours.