The Hampshire Chronicle has always taken local politics seriously, stretching all the way back to when it was founded in 1772.

Watching what goes on in the committee rooms at Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council and at parish council level is a foundation stone of local reporting. Nowhere else can an interested member of the public get comprehensive unbiased coverage of the halls of power.

Over recent decades the level of public apathy even antipathy to local and national government has risen. There are numerous reasons and we don't have the space to go into them here, save to say that social media has worsened the problem where loud-mouthed cynics often seem to rule the roost.

READ MORE HERE: Councillors stepping down ahead of elections

We report today on the decision of four councillors not to stand again. They are city councillors Frank Pearson (Central Meon Valley ward), twice a mayor, Michael Kurn (Bishop's Waltham), Chris Edwards (St Michael ward, Winchester) and county councillor Hugh Lumby (Meon Valley division). We salute them all. Anyone who puts themselves forward for election is not to be sneered at, but lauded for helping to keep democracy healthy. It is too easy for people who should have listened harder in school to cast aspersions. No-one goes into local politics to get rich; they do it because they want to contribute to the debate and to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. They are motivated by the unfashionable concept of 'public service'. And with that comes the need for everyone to recognise that and to vote. People too lazy to do so have no right to make any sort of criticism.