MIKE Cartwright invites me to join him in starting our own party. I must, at the moment, decline.

I feel I have done my little bit, for local democracy, in helping give birth to the Association of Independents.

In my opinion, with our local politicians saying they could get dummies elected in some wards, we have to face the reality that most people have given up on "elections."

The politicians love such "rotten" wards, because always voting for the same party, no matter what, allows the party drones to be elected regardless of the (unexpressed) wishes of the electorate at large.

That is why, in many wards, a "turnout" of around 20 per cent always results in the same party being returned to office, year after year after year.

I always turn out to vote. I now "spoil" my ballot paper, to indicate my contempt for our electoral system.

I dream that one day I shall see more spoiled ballot papers than votes cast in my ward.

How then could the party hacks continue to take their safe seats? So I say this to you Mike - suppose instead of forming our own political party, we encourage all our friends, and all their friends to go out and vote, and spoil their ballot papers too, in protest at the way the political parties have destroyed (local) democracy.

Then we can see just how many Worcester windbags are prepared to stand up and be counted.

The answer, of course, will be that few spoiled ballot papers will turn up on Election Day.

Worcester's windbags don't care, and certainly aren't prepared to use their electoral power, to demonstrate, to the party machines, that we - the electors - have had enough.

N TAYLOR,

Worcester.