Where have all the politicians gone?

I expect to go and vote, later on today, in the local council elections in my area. Admittedly it's not as exciting as Boris v Ken, I grant you that.

So how will I be making my decision? I've lived in this particular district council area for about six months now, and it's an area I was new to. I'm not immensely interested in local politics - at least, not enough to go hunting for local political news. Yet it seems I should have done - for during this entire election campaign, the sum total of campaigning in my area has been one (yes, one) leaflet dropped through my door about two weeks ago. It was from the Liberal Democrats, who currently control said council. It was not very well written.

I can't decide what I make of this. On the one hand it would be a waste of resources to have been campaigning actively for my vote when I don't think the council can even change hands this time round (only a third of the seats are up for election); but it hardly seems the way to stir voters from their apathy to stick with a rotating system which means that almost no local elections are ever critical.

With so little paper being used up on electioneering leaflets, at least a dull election is better for the environment, though. Every cloud and all that.