This year in May Wales will be holding a long overdue local election that will decide the makeup of village, town and county councils for the next five years.

These elections represent the only time we, as constituents, will be asked for input that could potentially change the direction of politics in Wales.

During this election we will be offered a selection of candidates both independents and party candidates.

The independents will offer their vision for the future of Flintshire, the party candidates will offer their parties’ vision for Flintshire. 

As usual neither will propose a comprehensive set of ideas that we as individual voters will totally agree with. 

This again will force many of us to vote for what we consider to be “the best of the worst”. 

Sadly, also because of this many will not even vote, and once again candidates will be elected by a what is essentially a minority.

Once the election is over, we the constituents will have little influence over Flintshire Country Council. 

We will be unable to question or refute unpopular policy or law that they may choose to impose on us. Or overturn their decisions on other issue such as planning, education, infrastructure, services etc. 

We will only be asked to elect them, after which we will be forgotten and ignored for the next five years until the next election.

Ask any of these candidates and they will insist that this is democracy, and that they are fulfilling the will of the people. 

This is sadly untrue, as true democracy can never be achieved under the current unrepresentative systems used in politics. 

Councils and national governments are inevitably elected on a minority, by individuals using the best of the worst principle to choose who or what party to vote for, or choose not to vote at all.

Once elected councillors will follow the party line, or their own opinion on issues. 
In FCC, Labour currently holds the balance of power, imposing policy that even some Labour votes do not agree with! 

The independents are in disarray, consisting of several separate groups or alliances. 
This has led to party agendas and individual egos leading the discussion on the future of Flintshire as a county. 

Our input as constituents is minimal to zero on most of the decisions made in our absence. 

A lot of decisions are also made “behind closed doors” or “public excluded”. 
This is unacceptable behaviour from a supposed public body working allegedly for the will of the people.

There is an alternative to this system of unrepresentative council or even government. 
A system that will bring parties and individual egos into line with public opinions and views. 

This system is known as Direct Democracy.

Under this system every decision made on our behalf can be scrutinised by the public.

If the decision is not acceptable to the public, they can call for a binding referendum on that decision, a referendum the result of which council will be obliged to enforce, even if it goes against party agenda or personal independent opinion.

This system offers the public meaningful input to council throughout its period of election. 

The public under this system would also be able to propose policy to council under their own initiative. 

A true democracy works for the people, all the people. Not just the few who pretend to represent us.

Shaun Owen