LAST week I received a letter from Prime Minister Theresa May.

After an initial “Dear Stephen Bell” it continued to address me by my best Sunday first name - a name I associate with being naughty at school, or trips to the doctor and dentist, then signed out with yours sincerely.

I assume from this I can now address the Prime Minister as Theresa, or perhaps if we become a little more friendly Teri and Phil (though not getting confused with the Chancellor Philip Hammond).

The purpose of this letter was to ask me to vote for her in the York Central constituency.

I am led to believe there is a Conservative candidate for York Central.

It would have been far better to have received a communication from him in this respect rather than his party leader.

Theresa informs me that she is the only leader that can secure a good Brexit deal.

I don’t think it matters who secures the final deal.

It may be some deal or no deal.

What does matter is that we have an able constituency MP, capable of representing us with regard to local matters, as well as being able to exert an influence on issues of national importance.

In my view Rachael Maskell has performed this role very well, though the same criteria would be expected of both the Lib Dem and Conservative candidates.

This surely is the basis of our parliamentary democracy, not deplorable interference by what appears to be an increasingly anxious Prime Minister.

Steve Bell, York