Some of Plymouth’s oldest voters say they feel “forgotten” by election candidates as the city goes to the polls.
At Thornbury Villa care home in Peverell, residents who have spent decades taking part in democracy say they have been left feeling invisible.
Not a single candidate standing in the Peverell ward has visited the care home.
This includes Jeremy Goslin, the sitting Peverell councillor standing for re-election.
While some literature has trickled through the door, it has been sparse. Kate from the leadership team at Thornbury, said:
"All candidates are welcome. The door is open. It has simply never been knocked on by those asking for the ward’s vote."
It is worth noting that Thornbury Villa has not been entirely without political visitors.
Councillors with links to health and social care, including Cllr Sue Dann and Cllr Mary Aspinall, have visited in recent years to speak with residents.
Although they had no votes to gain, they came anyway. That makes the absence of the local candidates in today’s election all the more difficult to excuse.
Kate told us that staff at Thornbury Villa actively seek out information about candidates and local issues so they can share it with residents, many of whom are less digitally connected or unable to go out and meet candidates themselves.
The team also supports residents in registering for postal votes and ensures every ballot is submitted through an enhanced collection service.
Cindy Wilcocks, owner of Thornbury Villa, Queen’s Nurse and South West Co-Chair of the Social Care Nursing Advisory Council, said older people and those living in care settings must not be overlooked by decision makers. She said:
“Social care is as vital as the NHS and should not be overlooked. All too often we see promises made before elections with little action following them.
"Social care isn’t just about care homes, but we have a collective responsibility to ensure the voice of older people is heard loud and clear.
"We need all levels of our political system to stop making decisions for people in social care without involving them directly.”
We met Edwina, a former personal assistant and proud member of Mensa, on her 79th birthday.
She has voted in every local and general election of her adult life. This May 7th will be the first time she does not.
“None of them are interested in me,” she said simply.
There is no bitterness in it. Just the quiet resignation of someone who has done her civic duty without fail for six decades and finally stopped believing it was noticed.
Bill, originally from Sheffield, spent his working life as an engineer on newspaper printing presses. In his retirement, he has become a keen photographer, capturing the city he has made his home. He will not be voting in the local election. He said:
“Politicians are not interested in me or you.
“They’re only interested in the money. No one ever benefits from politicians, and if they do, in my experience it is by pure luck.”
Perhaps the most striking person we spoke to was Brian. Before moving to Thornbury Villa, he served as a Parish Councillor in Devon.
He understands local government from the inside and knows exactly what a councillor can achieve.
He has received no visit from local candidates and no local election literature. As he is largely housebound, he cannot go out to meet them himself. He said:
“I would vote, if I had more information.”
A man who once served his community as an elected representative now lacks the basic information he needs to take part in the very system he once worked within.
What Plymouth Plus witnessed at Thornbury Villa is not just a story about one care home. It is a warning about what happens when politics becomes loud online, but quiet in the places where some of the city’s oldest voters live.
The Electoral Commission has raised repeated concerns about voting accessibility, and research from Age UK shows that hundreds of thousands face serious practical barriers, from mobility limitations to the simple absence of anyone willing to come and talk to them.
Campaigning is now increasingly digital, built around social media, online videos and quick doorstep conversations. But that world does not always reach older residents in care homes, especially those who are less digitally connected or unable to go out and meet candidates themselves.
Democracy is not just for the digitally connected. It belongs to every person who has earned the right to cast a vote, including those sitting in care homes across this country, waiting in good faith for someone to ask what they think.
Sign up for free below to get notified of all the latest breaking news from Plymouth Plus.
