Dear Editor,

It is gratifying to note that the forthcoming North Ward election is to be contested.

In times past, it was axiomatic that we voted for the individual rather than the political party at such times, and so the likes of the late Gordon Lucas were elected by virtue of their genuine humanity and altruism.

Sadly, times change, and we are rapidly becoming a one party state – a party which aims to privatise and profit from the destruction of commonly owned assets, and to fail spectacularly to enforce a fair and impartial tax gathering regime.

We have all seen the results of mass disposal of our utilities, systematic destruction of the NHS, lack of social housing and a generation of young people forced to pay for a frequently worthless education and generally sold down the river by our self-serving politicians.

Let us hope that the voters of North Ward will bear this in mind when they vote on February 25th, by voting for change in our local politics as a prelude to exercising their votes at county and national levels for the general good.

Rob Lucas

Ross-on-Wye