I comment on the frenzy of political moths presently fluttering around the flame trying to convince us to vote for them in three months time. Seeing as they have had decades in which to sort things out I hold no truck with their present blandishments. We retain in mind the wrecking of cherished institutions and family customs. Because of the folly of fixed parliaments we have lately suffered years of disregard until now all of a sudden ... gives one indigestion.

The canvassers might just as well take a break for the electorates' memory goes far deeper than they could wish and the crucial uncommitted, given also the role of social media now, will, I opine, all act the week before judgement day. Then is when I and the like minded will put shoulders to the wheel and remind all and sundry of promises broken or undelivered, the fiddles et al.

In the meanwhile local politicians continue to conduct business according to their own wishes. I am appalled by the report in the local Wimbledon Guardian that property mogul Stephen,"tessera spitia" Alambritis feels secure enough to brush aside as a clerk's mistake his cabinet's refusal to face disabled protestors over cuts to services. He may of course have suffered from misreporting, but on the other hand perhaps he should reconsider what the term public servant should entail and if unable to live up to its exigencies return full time to his day job ?

The concept 'representation of the people' is crying out for a root and branch overhaul. How can one expect "career" politicians moulded from cradle to command, with their Wikipedia sourced box-ticked degrees, to be in tune with the realities of life, both nationally and internationally?  One can accept that as a professional qualification "academic politics" is on a par with qualifications for, say, estate agents, lecturers or media studies but whereas you should not trust the agent to build your house neither should you accept that an academic has the nous to be granted the authority or to have the immense privilege of running your society's daily affairs.

The long term solution to some of these woes would be to cut drastically by two thirds the number of constituencies and MPs, filling them only with members aged 30 plus who have worked for a living and, who, equally importantly, achieve 50 per cent plus of the vote.

Fixed term parliaments need to be abolished and local councillors given more responsibilities and representatives forbidden to vote on party lines. "Whipping", like bribery, to be a criminal offence.

With regard to NHS;  clearly much of the blame for the present shambles lies on the head of the person who first gave GPs free rein to decide their own terms, salaries and hours of work whilst using our money. Get them back working for us!

A&E should be once more named casualty and deal only with genuine emergencies. So GP clinics need to roster daytime hours for walk-in facilities from 7am to 9pm for patients suffering colds, 'flu sore throats and the like.

The bed blocking problem needs a radical nationwide solution and an individual nominated to solve it.

I see that 38 Degrees have organised an NHS meeting of Wimbledon residents outside Centre Court at 11am 28 Feb, which might be worth an attendance

It would take a sharper, younger brain than mine to come up with the answer to "How can we create a better government ?" So I will  throw it open to debate, but will not wait with bated breath.

David Coleman

via email