I disagree completely with the pompous views of the chairman of Hove and Portslade Conservatives (Letters, January 31), as I am sure many others do.

I will certainly vote for a good, independent candidate if one is standing where I live. Let's get rid of party politics locally and have someone doing what is best for us instead of toeing the party line with no concern for the rights and wrongs of the issues.

Maybe people would be more interested in local elections if there were independent candidates. A lot of people don't vote because they don't think voting for either main party will do any good.

A candidate with no political ties would mean votes not being given to a party but to that candidate. Elections in the future could become much more interesting and more people would vote.

-Mrs J B Brown, Rowan Avenue, Hove