Valerie Paynter (Letters, April 24) says it is very sad that "the same lie" is repeated in three letters in these columns.

What is really sad - tragic even - is that for a month or so before every election, these letters columns are filled with the same childish lies, damned lies, spin and distortions that those who wish to be elected think are important.

Important to them maybe. To us, the poor punters who have to pay the tab, not a bit.

The real truth is that politicians of all the national political parties have been taking us for a ride for the past century or more.

We could not be more ill-served by such a bunch of egotistical charlatans if we were to seek them out deliberately.

National party politics have nothing whatsoever to do with public service. They are about gaining power for power's sake and promoting jobs for the in-crowd.

Anyone who steps forward and says "vote for me, I know best" should be debarred from holding any sort of public office for life.

We could save millions if we did away with elections altogether and selected our MPs and councillors in the same way we do our jurors and Premium Bond winners.

Randomly selected representatives would be dragged kicking and screaming to their governmental chambers. Such a selection could not possibly do any worse for us than the rabble who govern, or wish to govern, now.

The big bonus would be we would be spared all the lies that currently assail us before elections.

-Tony Sturley, Telscombe Cliffs