Hugh Bayley tells us he is now lecturing his Government on the need to make real progress on tackling climate change (Bayley blasts planning laws as environmental disaster", The Press, May 23). Only last month he was telling us all that the UK leads the way in Europe on this issue.

In spite of an explicit promise in The Press a few weeks ago, Bayley has failed to produce any explanation as to why local authorities are being asked to pay thousands of pounds creating energy certificates we can already produce with software provided by a European organisation for next to nothing.

Bayley and his wretched Government are opportunists, saying whatever they think is fashionable from day to day without feeling any need to act on any of it.

Are we fools to want our Government to act decisively on climate change or collapsing fish stocks? Were we naive to hope that a Labour Government would shrink the gap between rich and poor? Is it madness to believe we might have a viable and effective postal service like they have in countries like Germany? Were we foolish to expect our MP to vote against plans to scrap the 10p tax band that impacts on the poorest in society? Do we have a right to expect our Government to keep personal data safe and secure?

I believe we are right to want a fairer and more equal society and a Government committed to tackling climate change, poverty, civil liberties and social exclusion. For Liberal Democrats these issues are matters of principle.

I hope that when this Government is kicked out at the next election the nation doesn't swing so far to the right that these principles are lost altogether.

Christian Vassie, Parliamentary spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in York Central, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.