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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Amanda Cameron

Brexit fatigue is expected to cause low voter turnout in May's local elections

Brexit fatigue is expected to cause a low voter turnout in May’s local elections.

A candidate standing for South Gloucestershire Council said she has had residents slam doors in her facing saying they are “never” voting again.

Liberal Democrat Linda Boon, whose name will be on the ballot paper in Woodstock ward, said voters have made their feelings plain.

“There’s quite a bit of apathy around because of Brexit,” she said. “I think it’s turned a lot of people off. I’ve had quite a few doors slapped closed in my face saying ‘I’m never going to vote again’.

“I think there is going to be very low turn out.”

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Mrs Boon, who lives in and is a sitting councillor for Chipping Sodbury, said she had sympathy with people’s feelings about Brexit.

“I totally understand,” she said. “Even though I’m a politician, I’m totally fed up with it all.”

Mrs Boon had decided to resign from politics but changed her mind after being asked to stand in the distant ward of Woodstock by the Liberal Democrat group.

She openly admitted to being a “paper” candidate: simply a name on a ballot paper.

“I don’t think I have much chance of getting in there,” she said. “I am looking forward to retirement.”

Political parties commonly field paper candidates in wards where they have no expectation of a victory, just to give voters a choice.

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Mrs Boon said there appeared to be “quite a lot” of such candidates in these elections.

“Especially at this time, with Brexit, a lot of people might want to change their normal voting pattern,” she said.

Mrs Boon is among 65 of 199 candidates in South Gloucestershire whose address is not specified on a list published by the council.

“That’s a sure sign that they live in another ward and they’re not concerned about getting in,” she said.

Candidates without an address include representatives from every political party in the race except Ukip, and two independents.

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Hanham ward has the most, with nine altogether: three each from the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green party groups.

Only four of 28 wards have no candidates with unlisted addresses: Dodington, Parkwall and Warmley, Yate Central and Yate North.

In Woodstock, where two of the current three Labour councillors are standing down,  Mrs Boon and Conservative candidate Charlotte Hartill have no address listed.

Average voter turn-out was around 70 per cent in South Gloucestershire's last council elections in 2015.

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