I am listening to Michael Bublé’s Christmas album to fortify myself but it has to be faced - there is an election next week.

How do you choose who to vote for? One party is accused of being anti-Semetic; one, we are told, is Islamophobic. One wants Brexit, one doesn’t and one isn’t sure.

The only thing they all have in common is that they are going to make our lives wonderful. No more austerity!

I think the politicians have caught seasonal pantomime fever, because they seem to have come up with a flock of geese who will be laying golden eggs for the future.

There will be more police on the street, nurses in all those new hospitals. There will be more free childcare and, I assume, more jobs for mothers to work at.

So why am I so depressed?

I think every one of us knows the answer to that. No matter what your political leanings I don’t think any party is coming into this election looking good.

Apologies – the Green Party hasn’t done anything to offend me so far!

My first encounter with Boris Johnson was on Have I Got News For You and I loved him! As a prime minister? Not so much.

When Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour Party I was delighted to think we were going back to an era where there was an actual difference between left and right. But it is to his credit and his downfall that he simply doesn’t know how to play the political game.

It is such a horrible election because the country is so divided and angry – and this is coming from the top. Everyone is taking a swipe at someone else.

I think I have probably never left readers in doubt about which way I lean – and it is true that I will be voting Labour again because I don’t know how to do anything else.

There is only once in my life I cast my vote elsewhere. I had been covering the run-up to elections for my paper in New Zealand and ended up hospital. I got a lovely letter wishing me well from our Social Credit candidate (equivalent to Lib Dems, I guess). About half an hour later the electoral officer came around for us casting our votes in hospital and I voted for the Social Credit guy.

My only advice – just in case you want it – is to suggest you ignore national politics and vote for the local candidate who is going to serve you best.

Brexit is going to go ahead or not, without us here in West Cumbria making the decision. The money tree manifestos will be honoured or not without our input.

So if your MP is doing a great job for you vote for her! (It’s great that I can say her because both our MPs in Copeland and Allerdale are women).

The most important thing of all, however, is that you do vote. I think there are many of us wondering if it is worth it this time but democracy is always worth it – and remember how many people in this world have no chance to vote.

And if you choose not to vote then don’t complain about it later!