What is the point in York's councillors and MPs? Have they managed to stop post office closures and build plenty of council homes? Did they keep Terry's, British Sugar and Remploy open or prevent redundancies at Nestlé? Have weekly perishable rubbish collections remained? The answer to all these points is - no.

Has council tax doubled in ten years and are people evicted with nowhere to live? Is NHS dental access and certain other treatment denied by the primary care trust? Is York council to spend £40 million on a new HQ? Have councillors voted themselves an inflation busting 11 per cent pay rise and MPs enhanced their pay, final salary pensions and now have £43,000 expenses without receipts? The answer to these points is - yes.

In other words most policy, apart from councillors and MP pay rises and the York council HQ, is controlled from the centre in Number 10 Downing Street, often under the increasing political influence of the EU.

The EU adversely affects York manufacturing and is now to add hundreds of pounds annually to our energy costs.

Many of the issues affecting York and England are voted upon by non-English MPs and EU politicians, Gordon Brown being the most significant.

But in Scotland they are removing many of the penalties that apply in England, such as tuition fees, and prefer to look after their elderly and less advantaged. Scotland is even honouring the pay rise for police officers which Jacqui Smith and Gordon Brown have reneged on for England.

It's a shame that York can't come under the political umbrella of Scotland rather than suffer the inadequate policies of one of that country's famous sons - as we could do a lot better with Alex Salmond MSP and the Scottish Parliament.

T Scaife, Manor Drive, York.