I AM saddened and amazed at the latest council election results in South Wales, especially Caerphilly. Why can people be so utterly foolish as to waste their vote on a Labour, Tory, or Plaid candidate, when they could have made such a difference by voting in their local independent candidates.

Do people have such short memories that they can’t remember what Labour has just done for this country? Can’t they remember what damage the Tories have done over decades, right back to Thatcher, ie destruction of the Valleys communities and employment? And, as for Plaid, you only need to look at the monstrosity of what they like to call a hospital in Ystrad Mynach. It has no A&E, so if I fall and break my leg, where do I go? To Newport again – some improvement that is, and we’ve lost the Caerphilly Miners Hospital in the process. Thanks Plaid, and good riddance. Unfortunately, now we’re lumbered with the Labour waste machine, which was once the domain of another pain – Ron Davies. Come on Wales, in the next elections, use the grey matter and vote for your independents and give them a chance – if there’s anything left of Wales by then!

Wyn Parkin, Argoed, Blackwood