Confused and undemocratic

Can’t help but wonder if a broom applied shortly before child collection time might have been one way to resolve the issue. Charlie Horne

The verdict of one of my old site bosses of all the opposition leaders would be “they don’t know if their fundamental orifices are punched, bored, countersunk or reamed”. To be kind, they are all confused at a higher level than the ordinary voter, who cannot understand how democracy applies to their utterings.

They are so unsure of the state of all their orifices, it is difficult to know from where their utterances do come from.

Graham Beckett landlords refuse to consider benefit claimants.

All of which makes it increasingly difficult for people like myself - on a minimum-wage income, and with no choice but to rent - to continue to afford to live here.

I’ve lived in the town since 1978: my whole working life. In that time, I’ve helped administer its local government, paid tax to maintain its local services, patronised its local shops and businesses, and given my spare time freely to local amenities and charities.

For the last 20 years I’ve worked in social care, so have also helped to look after the area’s elderly and disabled. I have very little in the way of savings: barely enough for an old caravan. When I retire in five years I’ll have my state pension and nothing else. I’m registered for social housing. But in spite of having a disability, I’m a lowpriority as a single man with no dependents.

I’ve witnessed this throughout my life, from the south London streets of my childhood through the Devon villages of my youth - all now completely beyond the reach of the ordinary working people who’d inhabited them for generations. The culture of money and wealth has trumped everything, and pushed the less well-off to the margins. The balance desperately needs redressing. Hopefully, people will bear this in mind when deciding who to vote for on December 12.

I won’t hold my breath, though. Tom Seagrave