You were good enough to publish letters of mine two years ago on malign events at Westminster.

I write now as one not affiliated to any political party and with the belief that one should always be prepared to be a floating voter. In discharging one's civic responsibilities one should do one's best to discern the major problems of the day in one's society and to assess the available talent in the various parties to address those problems.

I am disillusioned, as so many of us are, by the self-seeking short-termism and PR driven vote-angling of those seeking to preserve their own influence and seats, which has also, provided opportunity for a couple of single-issue, power-seeking rabble-rousers.

However, I think we people in Ross must be satisfied with having sent, as our democratic representative to Parliament at the last election a "new boy" who appears to have worked with a high degree of integrity (difficult for politicians these days) and most effectively for both the strugglers and the providers of South Herefordshire. I have crossed the odd sword with him over the period, found him approachable, a listener and helpful. I feel it is therefore right that I should express my appreciation.

We could do a lot worse than re-elect him.

Michael Bushell, Sellack