In the run up to the local elections, I've had some emails from members talking about independent candidates and the conflict which may sometimes occur between party, voter and representative. We've seen some strongly argued cases on VisitScunthorpe in recent weeks that Party Politics can get in the way of local democratic representation in the community, and I've received a couple of emails from long time members of Visit Scunthorpe highlighting just how big an "independent" movement there is in the UK. Currently the council has three independent members, Councillor Don Stuart (Former leader of the Tory Group in the last Conservative run council), John Berry (another former Tory councillor who left the Tories shortly after the last general election) and Barry Briggs who hold the accolade of being the only independent councillor who actually stood as an independent in the last election! It is interesting to note however the apparent discontent within the local Tory group as both Councillor Stuart and Councillor Berry where both actually elected as Tories, and then only later defected from the local Tory group to then become "independents". It would seem within North Lincolnshire we have a very black and white choice politically, with the majority of supporters voting in Labour backed candidates. At the last Council elections there was one Liberal Democrat who was elected (Cllr Poole) but shortly after the Tories won the general election he abandoned his Liberal principals and crossed the floor to shore up the minority Tory group. So what does the future hold for independent candidates? And is there a case for independent candidates in North Lincolnshire? Well, with the current system of first past the post, the overall political make up of the council following this May's elections will probably be one of either Labour or Tory majority. However, running along side the Council Elections is also the AV Referrendum. This is just as an important democratic opportunity as that which is afforded to us by the local elections, allowing us to choose our representatives for the next four years. A.V. (Alternative Vote) allows us to select an Alternative Voting preference when casting our ballot. It means that politicians in the future will have to appeal to a broader spectrum, and it also allows independent candidates and smaller parties to get more of a share of the vote. For example, you may be a staunch Tory, and always vote conservative regardless of how vicious the government makes its cuts; However under AV you get the option to Rank candidates. This means you may put your Tory choice first, followed by perhaps a Liberal Democrat, or an independent candidate. It becomes apparent when looking at this that the A.V. System will essentially lead to a wider diversity of candidates being elected, and it will also strengthen the majority by which winning candidates are elected. It also means that MP's will have to appeal to a broader range of voters in order to attain that very important "2nd choice" position on the ballot. So back to May of this year, and the voting choices available to the public in North Lincolnshire. It's clear once again that the big stories are going to focus around the traditional Tory / Conservative battle grounds, most interesting in this round are going to be areas such as Axholme / Axholme North and Broughton and Appleby, both of which gained slim Tory majorities at the last elections. But what of Independent candidates? Well any of these key marginal areas could see a realistic challenge raised by any well established local figure wishing to stand as an independent. Currently there are a lot of Tory voter's who are incensed at the savagery of the cuts we are all facing, and as they begin to bite and more people loose their jobs a lot of traditional conservatives are going to become affected. Traditionally disillusioned Tories tend to follow single issue parties such as UKIP, but at a local level this is probably not a practical solution. Step in the independent, not just as a surrogate Tory, but its a solution which could work for some former Labour voters too who can not stoop to voting for the Liberal Democrats again. The ideology behind being an independent candidate is the representation of the community in which the candidate lives and works, as one of the people within it, without following any given political doctrinaire. This brings me on to a very interesting link sent in by a reader who suggested I take a look at the Independent Network. On their site there is a particularly interesting statement which I've quoted below: "...public frustration and disillusionment with career politicians and party politics demonstrates an urgent need for independent candidates elected to public office. Members of the public who support non-partisan politics are encouraged to support the efforts of the IN to get more independent politicians elected to public office." - (source) Having spent quite some time looking at this web site and reading the details and background to both the movement and the individual candidates I can't help but feel that at a national level the philosophy of these individuals is to be commended. It is difficult to see what positive impact an influx of independents would have locally other than to weaken an already shaky Tory position; however we would be very interested in meeting any one who is either standing, or considering standing as an independent candidate within North Lincolnshire, and would love to have the opportunity of posting their views on our web site to share with every one. If you are a candidate (for any party) then please do sign up for a free account at Visit Scunthorpe and post an article telling us where you are standing, on what platform, and why you think voter's should vote for you. Thanks to all readers who have already submitted links and comments prior to this article being produced, your efforts are as always appreciated.