I AM intrigued by the backlash of opinion caused by the increased parking charges affecting Brighton and Hove, as evidenced in Letters to The Argus.

Is this the first expression of outraged democracy to appear locally in recent times?

The council may be quite worried. If it isn’t, it ought to be. Brighton considers itself forward-looking, innovative and “the place to be”.

Is it? Or is it simply a gathering point for loud-mouthed minorities hoping to convince the rest of us they are not minorities at all?

Perhaps local voting should be compulsory, and each ballot paper should have half a dozen of the most contentious issues placed on it for us to say “yea” or “nay”, or even just abstain – but at least vote.

Would a majority of people vote for The Skip installation in Brighton as an example of artistic excellence?

Or would they feel it just represents the way Brighton and Hove is going – a receptacle for unwanted rubbish?

Would a majority really want to keep the derelict, un-restorable remains of the West Pier? Or would most feel it is an eyesore in what should be a pleasant outlook from the promenade?

Would a majority want umpteen millions spent on the i360, or would they rather the promenade was brought up to, say, Eastbourne standards?

How many would really want Brighton to be a traveller and protester “reception centre”? How can permanent sites relate to “travellers” anyway?

And so on, and so on. It would be very interesting to find out what the true majority of local taxpayers’ views are on this kind of issue, as opposed to being “told what is right” by those who know (and who, in fact, often appear to know very little).

M Boyask, New Church Road, Hove