OH dear. So, there are still people who see politics as a privilege and not a job (Readers' Letters, May 16).

I thought that had ended at the start of the 20th century when the nation agreed that only allowing members of the landed gentry with time on their hands to become MPs wasn't actually a great way of running a parliament.

I imagine most of those who view being a councillor as a privilege are those who have not had the privilege of being one or seen how much work it actually is.

Some will no doubt answer "don't do it, then" which is, of course, why it is so hard to find people willing to be councillors, particularly people with busy and successful careers outside politics.

Yes, I am proud to serve my community, but it is still a job, and a very demanding one for councillors of all parties.

In the real world, most of us now have to earn a living. As for expenses, in my three years as a councillor, I have claimed nothing - no petrol allowance or meal allowance or attendance allowance.

In fact, I don't really know what I could be claiming, if I was minded to claim.

I suspect many other councillors don't claim expenses.

It might not suit the cynics to know that, but then you can't please everyone.

Coun Christian Vassie,

Blake Court,

Wheldrake,

York.

Updated: 11:22 Thursday, May 18, 2006