Letters: Local needs

I cannot understand why local council elections are party- politically oriented. What has party-political affiliation got to do with the election of a councillor for a local area?

Every area has different problems and needs and those problems and needs should be addressed by local independent councillors who put themselves forward to serve the community unhampered by party dogma and free of the selection process of race and gender quotas.

Just think how much productive time would be freed up if the time currently spent on inter-party spinning and back-biting was eliminated.

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In the south of England there are several very successful councils run by independent rate-payers who follow no party dogma but just get on with attending to the interests of their constituents. It is clear that there is a general loss of credibility within the current party system which will be difficult to resolve nationally but could be very simply addressed locally if more independent candidates were to come forward.

Donald Lewis

Gifford

East Lothian

One of the less attractive features of elections is the tendency of pundits to treat voters like mugs. So the feature by “strategic communications consultant” Andy MacIver (19 April) was full of the usual clichés, general observations with flimsy evidence and the tedious obsession with the “main” party leaders.

His overall conclusion was as trite as “the SNP might do quite well”. As an overall conclusion that is probably right, if hardly revelatory. But it is a conclusion based on averages, which does little justice to the real contests going on at local level.

In council elections, above all, voters are increasingly more discerning and much more inclined to judge the candidate by her or his track record and commitment locally, rather than by the colour of the rosette.

I wish all candidates, of all hues, the success they deserve, based on local factors.

Gavin Corbett

Green Candidate for Fountainbridge – Craiglockhart Ward

Briarbank Terrace

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