Daniel Cann

After three weeks of campaigning, three live television debates, endless party political broadcasts and satirists and political commentators having a field day the UK General Election 2010 reaches its final stage.

Thursday is the big day when all the talking and grandstanding stops. You can either breathe a huge sigh of relief and ignore it knowing that something new will be on the television or you can do something.

Cynics and poll 'experts' have all been arguing that the election is too close to call and the likelihood of a 'Hung Parliament' is a true possibility. Sorry? Isn't that the case of all elections? No one knows the outcome until it happens and all polls do is show what a few hundred or few thousand people questioned felt that day, in that particular place and time.

The predicting and the reality can often be totally at odds. So called 'experts' have been caught out before like the time an American newspaper ran with the headline that Thomas Dewey the Republican candidate was new President of the USA only to have a large helping of egg on its face when unfancied Harry Truman the Democrat candidate won. Polls? Pah!

The most important issue for me is that this country is really fighting for its soul. I know that sounds melodramatic but hear me out. There are so many issues affecting us all right now: crime, drugs, education, the environment, Europe, civil liberties, class, health, care for the elderly, unemployment...the list goes on.

People vote in their millions when it is a television reality show such as 'Big Brother', 'Britain's Got Talent', 'X Factor' etc. But a thing like the future of our country seems something that usually inspires apathy in people of all ages. I cannot fathom that and its something that upsets and embarrasses me.

So please everyone, for once let's take a state in UK plc and make our mark: please vote. Its the only bit of power you wield every four or five years. You can't change anything by ignoring the election. Power to the People!