Dawson diversion

Let's remember that many people voted for Ralph Nader, the US Green Party Presidential candidate in the recent election, using the same sort of arguments. These disaffected liberal votes cost Democrat Al Gore the presidency. Like New Labour, Gore has indeed had to bend to centrist voters right-wing tendencies to get the votes he did - but the alternative to doing so is not a readily achievable ideal, but a devoted social conservative. Despite the impressive results Green candidates have achieved in local elections (particularly here in Lancaster), they have no chance of getting an MP elected without proportional representation (which I would, incidentally, like to see introduced).

Campaigning for Green votes at a general election will swing liberal-minded voters away from parties which have a chance of getting elected, reopening the way for a Conservative victory.

As for neglect of the area - and the old claim that Labour are now just the same as the Tories - lets not forget Working Families Tax Credit, which has benefited two thousand Lancaster and Wyre families, reductions in this constituency's crime figures and hospital waiting lists, free TV licences for over eight thousand pensioners like my mum and dad and increased fuel duty allowance for over twenty thousan d.

Let us also remember that Hilton Dawson, long experienced as he is in local politics and social work, has proven himself one of the better constituency MPs of Labours 1997 intake, even in the traditionally conservative Wyre district.

To vote Green in a council election is one thing; but for the Greens to target Mr Dawson in a General Election is not only - unfortunately - to waste a vote, but to abet the release of the Tory genie from the bottle wherein Mr Hague, Ms Widdecombe and their like should be sealed up for a long time yet.

Jeremy Batemanvia e-mail