Following my last column, hopefully everyone over 18 reading this will be registered to vote and deciding who to vote for tomorrow (Thursday) – polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

When deciding who to cast your vote(s) for locally (you have up to three), I would recommend that you consider from all the literature that you may have received from the candidates or any conversations you may have had with them on your doorstep.

1) Do they make specific pledges for your area alongside the general borough-wide pledges?

2) How are they proposing to keep in touch with their electorate in the ward over the next four years or do you anticipate seeing them again in four years’ time when they want your vote again?

3) Are they promising to have a regular surgery in the ward each week?

4) Are they old political hacks or do they have a genuine conviction for your ward and the wider borough? Will they toe the mayor’s or a party line, or vote for what’s best for your area?

If any of the candidates for your ward are getting more ticks than crosses, then you could well be on the way to being able to support candidates that will represent your area well.

Regardless of who you vote for, the most important action is to exercise your right to vote. A right that the D-Day celebrations will remind us of – that so many gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve for you on the June 6, 1944.

The best way to commemorate the bravery and gallantry of such selfless individuals is to use that vote and ensure that democracy prevails.