The way forward

I also agree to a point with the comments about an inept Tory Party which, despite the complete failure of many Government policies, still seems unlikely to attract enough support to form the next Government.

I believe there are many voters like myself who feel completely disenfranchised by the current state of politics and the overall thrust of the major parties’ policies.

Our democracy is under serious threat from this feeling of detachment from those in power, whose arrogance and disdain for the views of the voting public seems to have no limit.

So what is to be done to restore the relationship between electors and elected?

Firstly, we need politics and leadership with a real vision of Britain’s place in the modern world, something to restore some hope and pride, particularly for our young people. We are desperate for some big ideas of how we might once again become a major world producer of renowned quality and innovative products, and we need to gear up our education system accordingly.

This is the way forward for meaningful and worthwhile employment and to produce real and lasting prosperity.

We need higher calibre, and therefore better-paid, MPs, with a more independent mindset and hopefully real experience of a proper job rather than some of the current career politicians, or opportunists representing a particular vested interest.

We also need to be assured that those we elect actually make our laws, rather than some unelected Brussels bureaucrat.

Perhaps we could also have a guarantee that future MPs will share the view of the majority, that this once-great country could be restored as a bastion of democracy, with a fierce passion in defence of our hard-won freedom, heritage and history, rather than a culture of apology for our past.

Martin Smith, Main Street, Elvington, York.