General Election time.

As the General election approaches so the political parties are starting to gear up for their campaigns.  2015 will see us with a new government of whatever colour.  At the recent EU elections I was disgusted to see as little as a 30 % turn out by the public to vote.  Some argue the case that they don't vote because the political parties are all the same. Or it won't make any difference. First of all anyone who doesn't vote has no right to criticise any political party.  The main reason they don't vote is because they want the opportunity to complain about any party with out  being able to be accused of voting for them in the first place.  People don't like being made accountable.  There is the other reason of course - they're too dam lazy.
One of the other issues I have with election time is the now familiar TV debate which we have pinched from the Americans.  This is where each of the parties has their leader on a stage being asked questions and each leader has a right to reply.  What a load of TV nonsense this is.  In the past we looked at our political parties and just that.  A group of people representing a set of policies which had been created within the party.  The Americans have never voted in this way they vote for a president and TV is he best vehicle for presidents to show their personality.  In Britain we vote for a party and the individual MP's who represent the party and us.  Prime Minister personalities don't come into it at all.  I want to listen to policies not personalities.  The best orator wins not the best policies. Let's be brave and have some leaders say no to these debates.  They add nothing to our  understanding of a party and simply enable the Media to fill more air time with their useless speculation.