I have a question!

For months now people around the world have taken to the streets in their millions in protest about Palestine. But have any of these protests actually changed their countries’ policies?

No!

Protests are important, they allow people to show their discontent, but when it comes to influencing change, how effective are they? Does Starmer and his cohort even care about the anger vented on the streets, apart from the fact they cause a nuisance….I doubt it very much.

Why is that?

I believe that over the years, we the people have been sleepwalking into a trap, the trap of disengagement! We are so bored with politics now that we don’t even come out and vote. Game over as far as politicians are concerned, they have won. The less the people vote, the more power they have! All they have to do is to get their ‘faithful’ out to vote, and offer a few more carrots!

On Saturday, SNP members gave their leader an equivalent amount of power when they voted for a ‘I’m not telling anyone’ plan!

The words we continually hear from people are, ‘I’m not interested in politics’! Yet politics affects everything we do and have.

Politics = policies, which affect each one of us, from the price of our energy and food to how we access our services…..or not in many cases.

Power and change start here…

Not on the streets.

And until we re-engage with the ballot box, nothing will change.

We need to flip the switch in our brains, from protest to ballot box.

The need to do this is urgent, because the world is changing rapidly before our eyes and the outlook is not good.

Next year we have a chance to make the first steps of stepping off the madness that surrounds us. We can do this by using the ballot box and putting a different kind of politician into Holyrood.

There are some extraordinary people out there willing to do their bit, for a short time…..I say ‘short’ because they are not ‘grifters’, their aim is to facilitate the changes that will be required post UN Decolonisation decision. For them it is about outcomes not incomes, they stand out of need not greed!

Before that even happens though, we have to engage with the disengaged and help them see the power of the ballot box.

Protest by all means, it shows your commitment but let it go hand in hand with your vote.