AS an elected politician (albeit on a much smaller scale than those standing in the general election) I find the letter from P Shannon, who believes in a democracy depressing. The democratic process is adversarial. Each party puts forward the strengths of their policy and highlight the weaknesses of the policies of other parties. The electors have to weigh the arguments put forward by all parties and make their choice. Some cannot be bothered and do not vote. Others, like your correspondent who claimed to believe in the democratic process, are not prepared to carry through this intellectual exercise and salve their consciences by labelling all parties and all candidates as self-serving careerists, all as bad as each other and it does not make the slightest difference who gets in.

After nearly 50 years in politics I have found that most politicians - of all parties - are decent people who want to do their best for all their constituents. They may differ on how that is to be achieved but their motives are sincere and the overwhelming majority are not self-serving careerists. We get the politicians we deserve and it is up to people like P Shannon to make the effort to ensure we deserve the politicians we get and not opt out by adopting a holier than thou attitude. Has P Shannon considered standing and giving us the chance to elect someone he respects?

Cllr John Lodge,

Lancaster

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.