WAS it necessary to "muck-rake" issues of 27 years ago to report the election of a democratically elected MEP? (Advertiser, June 12)

The Ackrill press is surely above such diabolical styled reporting. One should remember the early 80s were fraught with lightning strikes, picket lines, police and miners in pitched battles and the like....to rake up the past of Mr Brons, thereby creating publicity to a party from which many would disassociate themselves, is acting naively.

However, if one does the "numbers game" it is worrying that of the 15.6 million votes cast in the UK representing 33 per cent of the electorate, the three main political parties added together could only amass 8.4m votes.

Leaving 7.2m votes going to a never-ending list of fringe parties of which the BNP is but one.... who did poll 943,000..well ahead of the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymra or the Christian Alliance. Add these votes together plus the English Democrats and that only equals the BNP.

Over 80,000 people entering the polling booths to spoil their voting papers should be another concern for the major parties. There is little wonder that the Harrogate MP Phil Willis says "we have to examine the reasons why they felt that mainstream political parties were not responding to people's views."

Sorry! Mr Willis, you and all the other MPs have had 12 years to do just that!