By Stephen Blease

Last updated 11:36, Tuesday, 29 April 2008

Voters all over England and Wales will be going to the polls this Thursday to elect new local councils. But anyone who has picked up a national paper in recent weeks, or caught a TV or radio news bulletin, could be forgiven for thinking elections are only taking place in London.

Acres of newsprint and hours of airtime have been devoted to the capital’s forthcoming mayoral contest between Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick – as if it mattered to anyone who doesn’t live there.

Those national journalists who are so preoccupied with it don’t seem to realise that, whatever the outcome, it won’t add or subtract one penny from most people’s council tax bills, make a single street outside London any cleaner or safer, or recycle a single copy of a provincial newspaper.

It could be argued that the contest is of interest outside London because the contenders are all colourful and controversial figures.

Livingstone, the Labour candidate, has been a thorn in the side of the Labour leadership for more than 20 years, Liberal Democrat Paddick was one of the few senior policemen to admit to being gay and Conservative Johnson is known for his sometimes insensitive remarks in magazine columns in between appearances on Have I Got News for You?

But is this enough to make London’s local election matter more to us than our own? Cumbrians, like residents of most of the provinces, must be used to the London bias of the national media, who seem to believe nothing of any importance takes place outside the south-east.

They came here for the Carlisle floods three years ago, but most of the time the regions hardly get a look-in. Zimbabwe probably gets more coverage than places much closer to home.

Perhaps it all goes to show that if you want to read about news that matters you’re better off with the News & Star than any of the London media.