February round-up

Thanks to everyone who has been downloading X Marks The Box. We have had over 6000 people doing so and it's good news that it has provoked such interest.

It's always good to see young people challenging the stereotype that they are apathetic. In many of the schools I've visited to talk about the book, I've met teenagers who are very interested in politics, certainly intend to vote and ask interesting questions. Such as: "Are people voting less because they are more apathetic, or because they are more content?" As they say - discuss! That sounds like an ideal candidate for one of those Clever Oxbridge Questions.

Another example is an article on The Periscope Post at the moment, written by Jennifer Lipman, who takes Obama's "yes we can" mantra as her starting point and applies it to British politics.

One answer given to people who say they are not happy with the candidates on offer is to become one themselves. But without a party political affiliation, how is this possible? The Independent Network is a non-profit organisation providing support to candidates who are not members of political parties, and is well worth a look. Supporters and endorsed candidates are asked to agree to the Bell Principles - a code of conduct for elected representatives formulated by Martin Bell OBE and the Independent Network. They also have a blog.

We are teetering ever closer towards the announcement of the election date. X Marks The Box will be here to monitor all the developments from the informed citizen's point of view - and of course to keep encouraging you to use your vote.