Don’t complain if you don’t vote

ANDY Maciver admits that he did not vote in the local elections earlier this month (“Highlands shows how local politics should work”, The Herald, May 13). That is his right, though he might have been better spoiling his ballot paper if he really could not bring himself to rank even one candidate above another; he did not of course have to opt for one in particular because of the single transferable vote system.

However, having opted not to express a preference of any kind, I do hope Mr Maciver will not have the cheek to complain about the services offered by his local council, as he chose not to avail himself of the opportunity to influence them.

And if he did not vote because all the candidates in his ward were members of political parties, why did he not stand himself as an Independent?

Councillor Jane Ann Liston (Liberal Democrats), St Andrews.