Fighting for valued freedom of opinion

There are 16 elected members, of whom three were elected on the same day they were elected to Arun District Council as Conservatives. They presumably never ever talk together as Conservatives on the parish council, or behind the scenes! Or do they? We can never know.

One new, young member would bring a much-needed youth perspective to the council. He would be the only declared Liberal Democrat member if elected, and would be just one voice among 16 others, so it would be impossible for him to take away the non-political independence of the parish council.

It is a valued freedom of democracy in this country of ours that people should be free to stand up for what they believe in, and such an openly declared candidate is freely stating what his political philosophy is,

so that people know where he is coming from.

It ill behoves an elected Conservative county and Arun district councillor to urge people to vote for another candidate in a by-election, on the pretext of keeping the parish council independent, which is not an issue as 15 members are elected as independents already. Fifteen to 1 is not going to change anything!

I also question whether Graham Tyler (report and letter, Gazette, August 27) is breaking election law by urging people not to vote for a particular candidate, but to vote for another, thereby destroying his "independent" status.

Dr James Walsh

The Street

Rustington

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