On my little island, where the roads fall into the sea, local council matters a hell of a lot. We don’t have alternative routes when landslips block a road. We rely on our local services because that’s all there is.

Sadly, I’m having to imagine what an inept Reform council will do to an already struggling community, which seems an inevitability. And we’re trapped with them.

It’s so disappointing to see this country beguiled, once again, by hate speech and baseless promises. How, how have we not learned from the Referendum? This man is a disgusting parasite, frothing at the mouth with poison.

Parties that appeal to the worst in us, our stupid anger with nothing but fear at its heart, do not then govern with kindness, care and integrity. If they don’t care about refugees, education, social services, healthcare or really anything – why would they care about YOU?

They’ve made their intentions in the case of a general election win very clear: abortion access dismantled, the Equality Act reversed, assisted dying in the bin, climate targets scrapped, the NHS sold to cronies and the European Convention on Human Rights abandoned – that’s the protection of our democracy, gone. America 2.0. Apparently, this sounds great to many people.

I can’t.

BUT this is about local elections. It’s about the small, frustrating things that make life harder. Local elections don’t change immigration. They don’t change how much poorer you are than last year or how many people on TV are gay now. They change how often you can get to the tip. They change potholes. They change care homes. They change housing.

Reform will increase your council tax, spunk the budget on upside-down flags and let developers they know build four-bed houses on the field where you walk your dog. If they don’t get fired for racism or embezzlement first.

So, how about we each vote for the candidate with the most applicable experience, who knows the area and has the best ideas for improving constituents’ lives? Not the shoutiest guy who posts racist memes on Facebook.