LAST week I wrote about the Apathy Party being the biggest in party politics, and the quest to find a candidate for Rossendale who is truly committed to the radical reform of Parliament.

I continue on a similar theme this week. Fifty per cent of those entitled to vote for the first time at the forthcoming General Election have not actually bothered to register to vote.

To a democrat like myself, that’s a scary statistic. Apparently our modern day politicians are not engaging with the younger generation. We no longer have hustings where candidates convince us with the power of their oratory.

No, the youth of today want to Tweet, blog, go on Facebook, send a text and email. With that in mind, I thought I’d look at how our candidates are embracing this new technology – sparing Lib Dem candidate Bob Sheffield, as he has only just been selected.

Janet Anderson and Jake Berry’s attempts at utilising technology leave much to be desired.

Steam driven is perhaps a more apt description, which is surprising when one considers how well their campaigns are funded.

I can only presume that once the election gets into full swing, we will see a series of official debates featuring all the Rossendale candidates, where the public can get the true measure of them – but I won’t be holding my breath!

Turning to reform in Parliament, I am genuinely gobsmacked at the establishment tuck-up that has led to rapscallions like Baroness Uddin, who abused her expenses, escaping criminal investigation.

Why? Because a chap called Parliaments’ clerk Michael Pownall declared that peers need only visit their designated main home once a month for it to be okay to claim expenses. Why does the establishment pull stunts like this?