BERNARD Ingham's column "What has happened to the Labour party of my ancestors?" (Yorkshire Post, April 30) asks a question that many interested in politics and particularly Labour supporters would need an answer.

Bernard's father and grandfather may well have seen the Labour Party as an instrument for redressing privilege and improving the lot of working people, but history reminds us that sadly the distinction between private interests and public good was lost once, creating problems for working families.

Sir Lewis Namier's publication of the The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III in 1924 painted a devastated portrait of the British ruling class. He demonstrated how idealism, party division and a concern for public services had no relevance at the time. Public men sought office as a means of enriching themselves and rewarding their relations, clients and dependents. Perhaps there is truth in the expression what goes around comes around as we experience similar attitudes and behaviour.

A new type of government has emerged in Britain over the last 25 years. More recent experiences of some of our politicians shows that the difference between private interests and public good has been lost.

Political analysts alerted us to the emergence and growth of a professional attitude to politics rather than the old fashioned ideology. The consequence upon our democracy has been highly damaging.

Politics has now become a gainful profession like advocacy, stockbroking, the dry goods trade or the setting up of companies.

At some stage a British politician may well discover a new approach towards the engagement of voters and communicating simply
and plainly to voters of the policies and beliefs that they expect.


We will fight this plan to ruin our village

From: Victoria McLauchlan and family, Tithe Barn Way, Kellington, North Yorkshire.

WHY, oh why are all the proposed sites for an eco-town for the whole of Leeds City Region in the Selby District (Yorkshire Post, May 9)?.

As members of the community under threat of an eco-town at Kellington (Willow Green), we are tired of this looming over us like a black cloud day in day out since January. Why not site a new town nearer to a city where infrastructure and a brownfield area is available?

The greenfield/greenbelt site at Willow Green is so obviously unsuitable that the Government didn't choose it for the shortlist in April. Our rail link to Leeds is already very over-crowded, the M62 resembles a car park every rush hour and Knottingley and the five towns are where investment is really needed.

Still the only politician who supports the Selby proposals is the soon to be leaving John Grogan. Unfortunately, it seems that we are the victims of "politics" in the worst sense. There must be "reasons" for this decision, unbeknown to the people whose local communities this would destroy.

However, in Kellington we know that the proposal for the Willow Green town is so wrong and will fight all the way to prevent our village from ruin at the hands of the politicians and those intent on financial gain.


Be brave Mr Brown, and give us a referendum

From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.

IN politics, there is nothing more important than who makes the laws for our country. Our liberty depends upon it. In times of peril in the past British subjects, from all walks of life and all parts of the kingdom, have bravely rallied to the cause of defending our rights to make our own laws in our own parliament, unmolested by foreign powers.

Now one of the main reasons that the Government is so discredited is because of its refusal to honour its manifesto commitment for a referendum on the EU constitution, re-named the Lisbon Treaty.

Foolishly, it claims the two treaties are different. There is ample evidence, from textural analysis, to the Commons Foreign Affairs committee report in January to the statements of European politicians, that the two treaties are near identical. This is hardly surprising given that the Inter Governmental Conference which produced the Lisbon treaty was mandated to use the EU Constitution as its model.

Currently, Stuart Wheeler is suing Gordon Brown and David Miliband for reneging on their manifesto promise to hold a referendum. He has won the first leg for a judicial review on June 9.

Coming so soon after the election rout, this will further tarnish Gordon Brown's reputation. Mr Brown claims to admire bravery: well, let him be brave, acknowledge his mistake, and give us the referendum to help us fight for our rights as our forefathers did.