We have just under four days left to endure of what has felt to be an interminable farce of a general election; and for us bloggers the fun will start on 8th May, no matter who forms the next government.

We have endured political parties promising this, that and the other, paid for from sources we know not; and every one of them aimed at garnering votes from various sections of the electorate with, but one aim – to secure for the leader of whichever political party, the top prize of gauleiter of EU region UK.

On membership of the European Union, there has been little discussion – and the reason for that is, I believe, obvious: they know that in opening that can of worms will result in their digging an even bigger pit than that of devolution – and they have yet to find a way to climb out of that.

I, for one, am distrustful of politician’s honesty and the truth of what they say – they are all guilty of breaking their promises. They treat this nation as their own private serfdom and seem to forget that this nation is not theirs to play with – it belongs to we the people. Yet when have we the people been asked what we want – all we hear is what we will get; and even then we are not told the whole truth.

It is generally believed that no political party will gain a majority and that (a) one will rule us as a minority government, or (b) another coalition will be formed. If (a) is the outcome, by what right does any political party without a majority seek to govern? If (b) then by what right does any coalition seek to govern on a set of policies for which they have no mandate?

Here, in the constituency of Easington (a rock solid Labour seat), we have had a number of leaflets – but sight of a candidate on my doorstep: none. I do not expect to see Grahame Morris: why would I when he has a majority verging on 15,000. Neither have I seen the candiidate from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat or UK Independence Party (Jonathon Arnott, who I have met); due, one suspects, because they know they have as little chance as an ice cube in hell of taking the seat. So why are we, the electorate in Easington funding poorly worded, boring, pamphlets which parrot the words of their respective leaders (you know: save the NHS with more nurses and doctors – or secure our borders by leaving the EU), plus their other ‘legitimate’ expenses?

The nadir to which this election has sunk is illustrated by a story today, if true, that one political leader has commissioned a tablet of stone, inscribed on which are his election promises, which he will be able to view from his office in Downing Street – and who is payng for that? What use is that: because if a political leader can ignore what is in his party’s manifesto, he sure as hell can ignore a tablet of stone. We are also informed that that same political leader intends to introduce a law banning Islamophobia – really? What happened to free speech and free thought? Are we actually going to vote for the introduction of Big Brother telling us what we can say and think?

We have read article after article from political commentators about democracy; about the break-up of the United Kingdom; about how first-past-the-post, as an electoral method is past its sell-by-date and that other forms are more worthy, such as AV, STV, or some other form of proportional representation. Yet of all those alternatives proffered, not one word about direct democracy – which after all is the only method by which David Cameron – and the other political leaders – could ever hope to ensure that the people are the masters, not the political class.

I have always stayed awake on general election nights – but no more, as thankfully tv and radio sets still have an off-switch. But how long will that choice last if we continue to be told what we can have and may be forced to vote for it? In the penultimate paragraph prior to this I hinted at the arrival of Big Brother – if we are forced to vote on what we are told we can have then methinks Biig Brother is already here.

Well, dear reader, are you content with that – or do you want real democracy?

Update re EdM’s monumental stone: interesting……