AT last we are getting a little bit of decent political debate going. Whilst I am not a great fan of The Skipper, he has raised some valid points with regard to our political representative.

David Hughes (Packet, October 23) was right in saying that Candy Atherton was given the support of the majority when elected in 1995. However, it is now 2004 and we still have poor value for our money within our health service, an under-funded police force, a woeful and sometimes unreliable local public transport network ... the list goes on.

Candy Atherton is a representative of this Labour government, and as such cannot choose to only promote those aspects which put her in a good light whilst sidelining issues that local people feel strongly about. Fox-hunting aside, her challenge to those that wish to stand against her at the next election will hopefully bring some new and forthright thinking to a constituency who are crying out for decent, effective public services in return for our ever-increasing direct and indirect taxation.

Steve Paget, MBE, Budock