So it's that time of the year again: the election circus has come to town and you are expected to turn out to vote on May 3rd. By this seemingly straightforward act, however, you will tacitly endorse a sham democracy and are unlikely to change anything really important. Democracy is supposed to be "rule by the People", but there are huge areas in the UK system of government, such as foreign policy and defence, where the People have absolutely no say. Even health and education, which are typically hot topics in election times, are being sold off, always at the expense of the poor.

Further, Brummagem Star, a newly launched grassroots newsletter, has exposed that BNP candidates in Birmingham have been using bogus nominees to make up the ten required to be able to stand for a ward. Back in 2004, when 6 Labour councillors were found guilty of rigging the electoral system, a High Court judge said Birmingham's electoral fraud would "disgrace a Banana Republic".

Those who abstain from voting are often labelled as apathetic and may not bring about a proper democracy in the immediate future, but at least they will have the satisfaction of knowing they are not helping perpetuate a downright lie. On the other hand, there have been many successful examples in recent years of communities self-organising through solidarity and mutual aid. Direct democracy does not need the interference of parasitic intermediaries who only show up during election campaigns or for a 'photo opportunity'.