The snap election nobody in the UK wanted: 'It's politics everywhere and I'm sick of it'

When Britain goes to the polls on Thursday 8 June it will be just over two years since David Cameron saw off Ed Miliband in the 2015 general election.

The intervening period has been almost entirely dominated by a vicious Brexit referendum campaign and the political trauma ensuing from last summer's collective decision to exit the EU.

So, on a sunny morning in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, which voted by 52% to 48% in favour of remaining in the EU, are people salivating at the prospect of yet another trip to the ballot box?

"Everywhere you look it's politics, I get sick of watching it on the telly, you just want it over and done with," says Melanie Brown, 46.

She is totally disillusioned with politics. "They all promise you the world and then when you actually vote for them nothing changes," she says.

Melanie's biggest concern is having to support her pensioner parents and says that the Conservative proposal (now watered down) to make more elderly people pay for their care has put her off the party's leader, Theresa May.

But her contempt for the whole political enterprise is what's most apparent. She's voted for Labour, the Conservatives, and Ukip in the past but feels let down by all of them.

"You don't know who to go to really because they're all liars," she says, adding: "My big error was Maggie Thatcher but then she messed the housing up."

Despite her dismay, she will be turning out to vote next week. "I'll just go down there put a tick next to wherever and it's finished. It's only a week to go, thank God!"

Unlike Melanie, Portuguese migrant Alonso will not be voting. As a UK citizen, he's entitled to but he's not bothered. "If it comes to it I'll get a gun and protect myself," the handle-bar moustached 46-year-old says.

He's lived around south of England since 1977 when, aged six, his parents moved over from Portugal. He's happy and claims to be "apolitical".

"I never voted because I don't think it will make as much of a difference. It's all a bit of a scam," he says. "There's only so much that can be done there's only so much money to go around."

The temp worker is well informed about UK and global politics but seems comfortable taking a back seat. "I was born under a fascist dictatorship," he says, referring to the Portuguese government of Antonio Salazar, "and that was bad but this country is fine."

"This country is quite safe. Everybody gets a TV and a McDonald's when they want," he adds.

Pensioner Tom Ridgley from the Oxfordshire village of Chinnor will be voting, and voting Tory, as he always does – but he says he's had enough of politics: "You can't avoid it, it's always on telly, every time you turn it on."

He reserves particular scorn for Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

"Why is that Scottish woman always on our television," Tom says. "Every time you turn it on she's in a red dress. I don't understand it at all. She's on there more than [prime minister] May."

He says his 19-year-old grandson, a student at Portsmouth University, will be voting for the first time next week but Tom doesn't know where his allegiances lie.

When it's suggested that as a student he might be tempted by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's offer, Tom recoils aghast, saying: "Oh it definitely won't be Jeremy Corbyn. Oh no."

Asked how he can be so sure, Tom replies: "I don't know anyone that is. Not in our village anyway."

NHS worker Maria comes from a politically engaged Labour-voting family but she admits to having had a Corbyn wobble.

"I'm having doubts for the first time and I'm almost 50," she says, adding that her Mum is "always telling me off about it".

Despite her start in life and a clear sense of public service, Maria is getting tired with the democratic process: "Blair put me off. He made it too presidential, too much about him and I think he went too far to the right."

"Why don't we have any industries? Why has the Post Office been sold off?" she says, as she gets onto her bicycle.

But if those are her concerns, Jeremy Corbyn must surely be the man for the job?

"He reminds me of my school teacher," she says. "I agree with his policies but somehow you need a leader that's got a bit more charisma."

At 18, A-level student Tyler Jeffries is less jaded than the others. This will be his first opportunity to vote and he's looking forward to it. He even says the election is a "popular conversation topic" among his peers.

But that doesn't mean Tyler will be going into the voting booth without a degree of cynicism. In particular, he's concerned by the impact that the media are having on his peers' opinions.

"A lot of people go with the main headlines. If they say 'Labour's gonna scrap university tuition fees' people go 'oh I'm going to vote Corbyn,'" he says.

"But then Conservatives go 'well they haven't actually worked out the cost' and everyone's like 'oh Corbyn's an idiot – we're not going to vote for him'. It's constant trends and swapping."

Tyler's vote is still to play for. He thinks the Conservatives would offer a smooth Brexit, which he would have voted for had he been old enough, but he's also attracted to the other parties' pitches.

Above all, he wants to learn more about what they offer, away from the campaign noise echoing around his social media feed and on television.

He didn't watch the recent leaders debate because "it always ends up as a shouting match – who's got the bigger vocals".

"You hear a lot about the election," he says. "But you don't actually hear a lot about the actual factual side of it... there's no actual explanation of policies so you're left in the dark really."

Tyler saw the Brexit result as a "sign that people want change". He is optimistic that an independent Britain will provide the foundation for a real "shake up of politics".

If, aged 46 or 64, Tyler is still half as enthusiastic about the power of the ballot box, British democracy will be in a good place.