Excitement at Westminster!
So the country goes to the polls today to choose MPs for Westminster and depending on where you are - local councillors too.
Many Carry On Langport readers are in what parliament refers to as the Somerton and Frome Constituency which in the 2010 general election gave the most votes (28,793) to the Lib-Dem candidate who became the MP. The Tories often come 2nd in the Somerton and Frome Constituency and last time lost by just 1,817 votes.
The Queen is relaxing on the beach at Weymouth today (Prince Philip is in the amusement arcade) but returns to Buckingham Palace tomorrow morning to carry out her constitutional duties. It is, of course, she who invites the leader of the party with a clear majority (or the majority of the support of the house of commons) to form a government.
Many of us also have to choose a South Somerset District Councillor today. The district is the longest-held Lib-Dem council in the country. The regular runners-up are the Conservatives.
The Queen is relaxing on the beach at Weymouth today (Prince Philip is in the amusement arcade) but returns to Buckingham Palace tomorrow morning to carry out her constitutional duties. It is, of course, she who invites the leader of the party with a clear majority (or the majority of the support of the house of commons) to form a government.
Many of us also have to choose a South Somerset District Councillor today. The district is the longest-held Lib-Dem council in the country. The regular runners-up are the Conservatives.
And then there's the Langport Town Council election. Town and parish councillors are rarely political, in the sense that the councils are never described as 'Tory' or 'Lib-Dem' - they are simply a group of local politicians attempting to do their best for the small populations they represent by deciding how to spend our money.
Today, Langport voters have to choose a full council. Each voter has to put a cross next to any 11 of the 24 nominees on the ballot paper. The 11 with the most votes become councillors and then the councillors themselves vote for a leader. Langport's current leader is Julia Gadd - who also happens to be standing as a Lib-Dem candidate for South Somerset District Council as well as for a seat on Langport Town Council again.
There's been a great deal of 'noise' about the Langport Town Council election and it is indeed remarkable that in a small rural English town 24 people should stand for an 11-seat council.
The votes for the general, district and town elections are all counted in Yeovil. But we understand we won't get the Langport results until at least tomorrow lunchtime if not later because national and district vote counting takes priority.
So Langporters, what's it to be? Stick with the current lot or have a complete clear-out and vote in the newbies? Or try to go for a mix of experience and fresh blood?
We'll try to bring you the local results tomorrow (and then we probably won't see any of these people until they want our votes again in 5 years time.)
Unfortunately the Langport election swingometer, out of view at the back of this picture, has become overgrown and no longer functions.
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