Huw Griffiths

Yes - although we sometimes get offered some superb candidates, we're also asked to vote for a number of people who seem to be eminently unsuited to the positions they're standing for.

I struggled to keep a straight face when I saw what one candidate had to say for themselves - something along the lines of: "I formerly held this position ... You can't buy experience." Unfortunately, they failed to mention if they'd done anything worthwhile during their time in the position they're standing for - and their previous time as a councillor.

Really? I don't know anything about this person except that, based on what they say in their own electoral literature, they don't appear to currently hold this position - leading to an obvious assumption that they were likely to have been voted out - hardly encouraging!

Is it really too surprising that I compared some election candidates to "April fool" jokes?

Ultimately, I'd like to vote for people who are capable of independent thought - people who take more notice of their constituents than of an official party line. Surely, I'm not expecting too much?

Round my way (Notts) people stand as Independents as the Tories are still hated by many. Locally I don't care what they, are other than UKIP or whatever that crap is, if they are a damn good worker for their people.

This strikes me as fair comment - especially for local stuff.

Probably just as well I'm not a member of any political party - although my views are well within the established mainstream, I prefer to think for myself.

I've certainly never been one for blindly following a party line.