To vote or not to vote?

I watched a programme on Saturday in which Michael Portillio was travelling in the UK (with a brief stint in the US) looking at people power.
Given the looming general election and the predicition that we could end up with a hung parliment, it is more important then ever to consider how we would like our country to be run.
The beginning comment of the programme was that many of us don't vote, as we feel far removed from the politicians and are doubtful that what we think makes any difference.
Michael visited several towns where 'people power' is being enforced.
Two examples were a group of parents lobbying to turn a disused hosiptal into a secondary school as there wasn't one in the area and the other a village where a team of local volunteers had saved the village shop from closure. I think most of us are willing to get involved in a crisis in order to make a difference but this works better on a local level. Michael was calling for a change in the way politics is handled in the UK and that more power needs to be given back to local authorities. In some towns they have an elected mayor which has improved the visibility and, more importantly, accountability of local authorities.
People need to know that they can make a difference, that we all have a responsibility to make this country a better place in whatever small way we can. There are larger hot potatos such as Education, immigration and the NHS where it is hard for us to feel that our opinions are noted let alone listened to but if we could make more of an impact locally, and let politicians see that we take matters seriously, would we start to see a change?
These are very interesting times, we could be on the brink of a very different system but we do need to gather information and make informed decisions and of course cement that with a vote.
Otherwise, I believe we are in danger of allowing a select few and the media to decide the shape of our nation.