Luke Marsden: your vote is your voice – so don’t be afraid to speak up on May 2

It was refreshing to actually sit in a busy pub in our town centre without thinking about how long it would be before the doors are locked and it is demolished.

The direct opposite, live singers and a full pub, it was almost like a throwback to yesteryear.

Inevitably, politics began to dominate the discussion after a few ciders, most would assume I surround myself in an eco-chamber of right-wing noise, they couldn’t be further from the truth. I love, if not thrive, on hearing varied opinions and points of view.

Naturally, the total demolition of the town centre was a hot topic, fellow patrons of The Berkeley began to join in the discussion and then the bombshell dropped – almost all of them weren’t aware any local elections were on the horizon; in fact many asked, “what’s the point in voting?”

There’s a HUGE point in voting, if you’re happy and want to see more of the same then vote for that, but if you’re disgruntled and feel change is what you’re seeking and need, vote for that.

Turnout in Wigan across the board is low with approximately two-thirds of Wiganers showing total apathy.

You simply have to go and vote if you feel passionate about our town, apathy and disillusionment aren’t passable excuses and we all must do better.As I was sinking my final few pints of the evening, a few girls asked me for a selfie (I can’t possibly think why).

I naturally obliged and asked them if they’d thought about the upcoming elections. Two of them weren’t even registered to vote and I couldn’t write in this column what the third one said to me.

The apathy in Wigan is a picture painted across the country and it’s simply not good enough.

We all need to take responsibility for our areas, and it starts with putting a cross in a box next to the candidate you believe will execute your wishes.

As for The Berkeley, I’d vote for it!