AS an 83-year-old, I have spent most of my adult life working in various organisations that have been trying to get some sort of decent political set-up for working people.

I never cease to be amazed at the mendacity of politicians once they are in power.

I attended the meeting where Labour Party members voted to choose Michael Foster to be our candidate. At that meeting I asked him to give a guarantee that his only job as an MP would be to represent the people of Worcester without any part-time jobs.

As far as I know he has kept the promise he made at that time. He has, however, reached the first rung of Government as minor Education Minister. It would seem that this position has made him vulnerable to pressure from the Whips Office.

He recently declared his full support for Tony Blair's disgraceful sell-out to George Bush. I have yet to meet a single constituent who supports this dirty war.

Certainly, I do not find any enthusiasm for it among local Labour Party members. What has happened to your promise to represent us, Mr Foster?

Yes, there certainly is a comparison to be made with 1939. It lies in the fact that we gave massive support to Saddam Hussein, just as we did to Hitler and his bunch of infidels. There, the comparison ends.

By 1939, the Germans were the most powerful military force in Europe. Iraq has suffered 10 years of vicious sanctions and regular bombing raids over its territory. All this has been endured by the ordinary folk who have no quarrel with anyone. Their morale must be as low as possible.

The Americans can probably walk all over Iraq in a fortnight, causing massive refugee problems to add to the Palestinian problems which no one has seemed capable of tackling for years.

How Mr Foster can describe this kind of action as some sort of Socialist Internationalism is beyond belief.

Doesn't he know that Mr Bush and his cronies are extremely interested in oil? As far as the question of weapons of mass destruction is concerned, my 13-year-old grand-daughter summed it up the other day.

"When are the inspectors going to destroy some of the American weapons," she said.

Come on Michael, have the strength of character to make a stand against the evil war. After all, your political career will be decided by the people of Worcester, not by George Bush, Mr Blair or the Whips office.

JOHN BRANSON,

Worcester.