THE irony of Clive Booth's latest letter (November 18) is amusing if not a little disturbing.

Mr Booth attempts to rise up above the supposed recent political slagging match in the letters column calling it a disgrace, before continuing in a similar vein and chastising all around him.

I do agree, however, that politics does need inspiring role models to regain people's interest. I'm afraid Mr Booth has certainly proved that he isn't one of them.

Perhaps Mr Booth is referring to the Tories' many examples of inspiring politicians such as the disgraced Boris Johnson, the ineffective Michael Howard or any of the unknown front bench.

We do need a new government, but I hope that it won't be the Conservative Party that brought about so much misery in the Eighties and Nineties and caused so many of the problems that we are still facing in today's society.

Coun Tom Holvey,

Liberal Democrat,

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward,

Houndsway, York.

Updated: 10:18 Tuesday, November 23, 2004