MARCIA Mackey makes a powerful point in her article in The Press (Stop the sabotage of our arts project, May 22) that the language used by politicians has a huge influence on people’s perceptions.

I don’t have a particularly in-depth knowledge of the work done by York’s Arts Barge, but anyone with a semblance of sense will know the value of culture in adding to the richness of a city.

While there is little doubt that culture is economically beneficial, reducing it to measurable metrics misses the point (a point that could also be made regarding the Tour de Yorkshire).

How do you measure enjoyment and enrichment of people’s lives?

That is why we need our politicians to have a brave vision beyond an economic prism.

I did see at the Refugee Council in Leeds the immense value a woman’s art therapy class had in providing a space and time to articulate their feelings and emotions.

So perhaps it would be nice to see councillors Steward and Aspden apologise for aligning the Arts Barge with “vanity” projects.

It was at best clumsy, certainly ill-informed and at worst politically opportunistic and damaging to a valuable project.

Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York