'With the General Election now having been called, there was a time when I would have greeted the news with excitement, looking forward to the build up and the drama of election night. Now like many of my customers, I just want change in the faint hope that it may bring a turnaround in the direction of the economy, which is the issue I feel dominates the political agenda.
 
The expenses scandal has left me sadly disillusioned with the whole political system in this country, and the credibility of our politicians is so badly tarnished that's its hard to take any of them seriously. The new American style debates simply show who is the best speaker not the best leader. Party manifestos are just about winning votes, does anybody believe that they will fully implement them.
 
For me a change of government might bring a change to the 'nanny state' that has blighted us with so much red tape in recent years. In my constituency Hastings, our Labour MP has just announced that he wants to introduce a local campaign to encourage newsagents and garages to promote a “family friendly” environment for their customers. He is calling on families to report those stores that are openly displaying sexually explicit newspapers and magazines and he will publish a list. As a local community store I chose many years ago to not stock top-shelf magazines after being approached by a group of local mothers. Customers vote with their feet and can chose not to use my store, we don't need our politicians telling our customers where to shop.
 
I recall in the 80's having a stopover in Dubai and the only English paper available was the Sun in which every Page 3 girl had received a black marker pen bra, maybe that's the solution. What next, will there be a list of small stores that should be avoided by obese people as they sell lard and cakes, and by gamblers as they sell the Racing Post.
 
Maybe Mr Foster could look closer at how Tesco's over Easter sold exactly the same Easter eggs as I got from Booker to sell at £3 each, but they sold them at £5 each or two for £8, but maybe that one is not a vote winner. Its a lot easier to clamp down on the already downtrodden small business's in this country than it is on the might of the multiples. How long before Tesco becomes the fourth major political party, there seems little left that they are not prepared to undertake in their quest for domination our lives. They could give treble Club Card points to every voter!'