Why Voters Are Fed Up: The Lie of Public Service

Voter apathy isn’t a mystery.

It’s not that people don’t care – they’re just sick to the back teeth. Tired of the same faces saying the same things while nothing changes. You can only be mugged off so many times before you stop playing the game.

At Stormont, the game is in full swing. The public has switched off because too many MLAs treat politics like a career, not a responsibility. It’s a stepping stone to a better job or a way to stay in the limelight. Public service? Pull the other one.

If you’re earning a good taxpayer-funded wage, why are you also drawing income from consultancies, boards, media work or side hustles abroad? Double-jobbing isn’t allowed in most jobs. If the role’s too much or not exciting enough, step aside and let someone who wants to do the job take over.

Why Trust Is Dead

When people hear “politics” today, they think spin, lies, and entitlement. Expenses fiddles, pointless junkets, endless waffle. We’re supposed to trust people who won’t even show up to answer questions in the chamber. You know it’s all fluff when a spokesperson is wheeled out instead of the MLA standing up and saying what’s really going on.

How can you represent the public if you’re nowhere to be seen? Too many MLAs skip committee meetings, duck scrutiny, vanish from votes, yet still pose as “public servants.”

Look up your MLA on the Assembly website. How often do they speak? Do they vote? Are they at committees in person? Or are they off enjoying jollies at your expense with no results?

Be curious. Ask questions. Do they appear on podcasts more than Assembly TV? Do they chase social media clout but fail to deliver basics back home?

People have had enough. The public purse is being emptied by people who aren’t even hungry anymore – just greedy. It’s a disgrace.

Lying: A Political Reflex

Why do MLAs lie? Because it works and they get away with it.

Many have trained themselves to manipulate. Some show narcissistic traits – believing they’re above accountability. They justify whatever they do as long as they stay in charge.

Lying becomes second nature. Say one thing in the community centre, the opposite to the press. Deny reality. Shift blame. Use vague words like “challenges” instead of admitting mistakes.

If caught, it’s the same routine: “I take this seriously,” “We must do better,”" Lessons have been learnt",“I’m listening.” Nothing changes. The carousel keeps turning.

No Targets Met. No Shame Shown.

Look around: are housing targets met? No. Health? No. Waiting lists are an international embarrassment. Young people can’t afford homes. Mental health services are hanging by a thread.

Yet the platitudes keep coming. Committee reports gather dust. The place is a joke – and the public isn’t laughing anymore.

It’s not just inaction, it’s shamelessness. Some showboat, patting themselves on the back for “raising awareness” while doing nothing to fix root problems. Awareness is cheap. Results matter.

Look at Me, Not My Record

We live in an age of “look at me” politics. Performative concern, Instagram statements, media outrage – it’s a circus and many MLAs are auditioning for the centre ring.

Instead of focusing on legislation, they build media profiles. Public office is a platform for self-branding, not for rolling up sleeves and changing lives.

That’s why voter apathy isn’t just understandable – it’s rational. If those paid to fix things aren’t trying, why trust them?

Some Are Worth It – But They’re Quiet

Not all MLAs are the same. Some genuinely want to serve but don’t get much attention because they’re too busy working.

They’re not preening for cameras or flying off on ego trips. They’re in committee rooms, writing laws, helping constituents quietly. No fuss, no filters.

These ones don’t chase clout. They care about outcomes.

The problem? The system rewards the loud, shameless narcissists who get airtime and promotion. We all pay the price.

Start Asking Questions

Here’s what we can do: stop being passive. Get curious. Visit the Assembly website. Look up your MLA. See what they’ve actually done. Not what they say on social media – what they deliver.

Do they turn up? Ask real questions? Get things done?

If not, call them out. You wouldn’t accept this performance in your own job, so why accept it from someone paid by the public to represent you?

This isn’t about party politics. It’s about standards. If you want the honour of public office, act like it’s a job, not a lifestyle. Don’t like scrutiny? The door’s over there.

The public isn’t laughing anymore. And we shouldn’t let them off the hook.