US Presidential Democratic Candidate Senator Obama arrived on these shores, on the last leg of his week-long European tour, this week with a mission to see “how we can strengthen the transatlantic relationship to solve problems that can’t be solved by any single country individually”. While it is heartening to see the Illinois Congressman fully engaging with Britain’s current and future leaders we must be wary of getting carried away with style and rhetoric and rather ought to concentrate on the substance of the campaign.

“The people”, as they say, “have spoken!” I won’t comment here on the actual results of last weeks elections. My concern is about the democratic process itself.

Here in Epping Forest District, we had a very respectable turnout. In most places it was around 40 per cent. and in some places as high as 51 per cent. In some parts of London, the percentage turnout for the Mayoral Elections was even higher.