WT Letters Page - Politics Is A Part Of All Governmentnt

Dear Editor - The letters from John Davies and Richard Shepherd (June 4th) beggar belief.

All local government decisions involve politics. Every decision, from whether to extend services or have lower taxes, or whether to have lots of small schools or fewer bigger schools, is controversial and thus political.

The problem with independent groups is that they do not issue manifestos.

So, when the election comes you do not know what their policies for Pembrokeshire will be. The present group could do whatever they like, and no-one could accuse them of going back on their word.

At least with the Tories, Lib Dems, Labour and Plaid, manifestos are issued. We know what we will get if they win, we can hold them to account for their promises and throw them out if they betray those promises.

With independents, individuals may make promises to their own ward; but we want to know what they will do as a group, and this is precisely what is lacking.

Manifestos, and thus parties, are the bed-rock of democracy. All strength to our political parties in Pembrokeshire - keep campaigning and one day we may have a truly democratic county council.

ALAN YORK 17 Goat Street, St Davids.

And there speaketh a man with common sense that articulates the problem with the IPG very eloquently.

"The problem with independent groups is that they do not issue manifestos."

Therefore we have to rely on individuals masquerading as "independents" who are subsequently bribed with allowances for special responsibilities and places on various committees or blackmailed to the effect that "if you don't support me you won't get anything done in your ward".

Quite simply, there should be a law against standing as an "Independent" and then aligning yourself to any type of political organisation or group such as the thought controlling IPG which absolutely rapes the whole meaning of the word independent from the English language.