If you genuinely believe that no party represents your views, spoil your ballot paper.

It is your duty!

If you haven’t decided on a party to vote for yet, and live in Scotland, have a look at these websites:

• Major Parties:
• Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party
• Scottish Green Party
• Scottish Labour
• Scottish Liberal Democrats
• Scottish National Party
• Scottish Socialist Party
• Minor Parties
• British National Party
• Fergus Tait (Independent)
• Operation Christian Vote
• Save Our Hills
• United Kingdom Independence Party
• More information:
• EU Elections 2004 - Glasgow University Library’s excellent guide
• Vote 2004 - the BBC’s in depth, UK-wide guide.
• What Are The European Elections? - a brief overview at the Scotsman.

As far as I’m aware, those are the parties standing in the European Parliament elections, listed alphabetically. (They’re divided into major and minor parties for the simple reason that I couldn’t bear to see the BNP head the list.)

These elections are not a chance to protest against Labour’s keen participation in the illegal invasion of Iraq, or a sort of pre-referendum on the UK’s role in the EU. Since the The European Parliament is the only chance the general public have to influence decisions taken on our behalf in Europe, please vote according to how you wish Europe to be run, not because you’re pissed off with Blair or have qualms about the European Constitution.

My apologies for the horribly patronising tone of this post - I’m sure most readers will be proudly exercising their hard-won right to vote today - but I just know that when I go out tonight and ask folk if they mind telling me how they voted, most will say that they couldn’t be bothered, or that they wasted their vote to punish Blair.

PUNK rock fan Mike Devine sent an innocent text message containing lyrics by The Clash - and was quizzed as a terror suspect after it was INTERCEPTED.

Computer worker Mike, 35, was confronted by a Special Branch cop at his office and taken for a grilling.

He was stunned to be shown a printout of his text which contained the words gun and jet airliner.

Okay, so The Sun isn’t exactly the most reputable source out there, but if true, it represents a step up in intrusive surveillance of our everyday communications.

And, as Spyblog points out, either David Blunkett has expressley given permission to spooks to scan SMS messages for dodgy content, or the security services were acting illegally.

The Register and the Evening Standard have a different take on the affair, quoting a Somerset & Avon Police source claiming that the text was mistakenly sent to a woman in Bristol who alerted the authorities, with The Register casting doubt on this explanation. (It does sound just like something a spy would make up to cover her tracks, no? And, like, does Somerset & Avon sound like a real place to you?)

Perhaps readers braver than I would like to try sending out a few inflammatory SMS messages and waiting to see whether any Special Branch goons pop by for a quiet chat?