A disillusioned voter from the North West of England is encouraging people who feel similarly disconnected from the UK political system to not waste their vote in the forthcoming general elections, but instead cast what he terms as a 'none vote.'

Simon Jones, from Wirral, set up spoiltheballot.co.uk at the time of the local elections in 2004. The site urges those who have people lost faith in the politicians who run the country and do not feel as though their opinions are represented, to spoil the ballot papers instead of not voting.

On the site Jones says "Petrol is still expensive, there are still huge hospital operation queues and crime figures are still smudged to hide the truth. Then there are questions about the integrity and honesty of those in charge. Scandal after scandal appear in the papers and the house of commons is still filled with anything other than common people. I found myself simply not wanting to vote for any of these people because they all seem much the same to me and I have lost faith in the system of voting and perhaps politics in general."

With nearly 17 million people choosing not to vote in the last general election the UK has an alarming rate of voter apathy and disillusionment. In the 2001 general election voter turnout was barely 59% with turnout among the first time voter, 18-25 age group, among the lowest.

"I don't consider myself a political person, but I find it frustrating that I don't feel represented by any one of the political parties out there. I also don't feel like politicians relate to the reality of the average Britons day to day life, many of hem a career politicians and haven't worked for any significant period in a job outside the realm of politics." Said Simon Jones today.

Jones feels that by spoiling a ballot voters do, on some level get their voice heard and fulfill what he sees as their social responsibility to vote. "Personally I feel that not voting is irresponsible. Our right to vote is a luxury many in the world don't enjoy. But I understand that many people don't feel connected to any of the parties and their objectives, so they simply don't vote. In spoiling a ballot voters get to cast a non-vote, and if everyone who felt disillusioned did this then a message would be most certainly be sent."

The spoiltheballot.co.uk site contains links to all the main political parties and includes a picture of Jones's own spoiled ballot from the local elections in 2004. The site can be found at www.spoiltheballot.co.uk.