Weigh up all options before casting your democratic vote

From: Alfred Penderel Bright, Dacre Banks, Harrogate.

I CANNOT remember a time when any election has been so necessary to clear the stalemate in politics.

It is, however, naïve to believe that any political party is perfect. It is also unrealistic to expect any government to please everyone, let alone their own supporters.

Then there is the dilemma facing every voter concerning local versus national issues. My simple advice after 82 years is to ask:

1. Do I know anything about the prospective candidates in my constituency and the track record of the sitting candidate if he/she is seeking re-election?

2. Is party ‘loyalty’ justified or merely an excuse for political ineptitude/laziness on my part?

3. Reflecting back as far as possible which government has put our national security, law and order, the overall economy, education and maintaining a decent health service at the forefront of their action plan and achievements?

Of course matters such as infrastructure, environment, technical innovation, housing and employment are all extremely important priorities locally and nationally. However, government policies sometimes cut right across the local/national priorities, prime examples being HS2, Crossrail and a third runway at Heathrow.

So, gentle reader, please do not be discouraged by complexity, try to be forthright and true to your instinctive convictions and never regard the precious gift of your democratic vote as a waste of time.

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

I DON’T recall a more stark option than the the election of our next Prime Minister. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was born to oppose: an activist who I doubt would know what to do with high office if it were handed to him.

At best equivocal in his response to accusations of anti-semitism, the Palestinian cause is in his DNA, typically of the extreme left.

One can only hope that fears that he will bankrupt the country will keep him out of office.

As for Boris Johnson, I can’t help seeing him as an amateur, privileged to be given a dangerous toy to play with. Don’t tell me that appearances can be deceptive: the shifty eyes looking round for approval, constantly playing to the gallery, the eccentric hair style – unlike Donald Trump’s but equally absurd.

As a Lib Dem voter, I am hoping that Corbyn and Johnson will be prove to be Jo Swinson’s greatest asset.