Why do most people not bother to vote in local elections and then complain when they find their council has made decisions they don't feel are in their interests?

Modern local government is dominated by party politics, which, with politically-elected mayors, will see the increase of less open local government.

Modern local government is identical to large business corporatives managed

by a chief executive and board of legal, financial, administrative, social service, education, housing, health, planning and transport directors.

Council tax payers are the shareholders with central government providing the main income and regulations, thus making politicians in local government superfluous.

-Nowhere on council consultation forms can this majority view be recorded. If Brighton and Hove citizens require to be ceremonially represented, why not pick a local beauty queen each month? Party politics in local government destroys public participation. John Stanaway, Lorna Road, Hove