ONE reason for the relative lack of interest in local government elections, and increasingly in parliamentary elections, is a perception that “they” (the political parties) are all the same.

Such a view is no excuse for apathy, of course, but it is easy to see why it is so widely held. Real power in the land does not reside with elected politicians but with the higher civil servants and with big business, especially financial big business.

Both of these groups have the power to frustrate the will of politicians.

Governments are reluctant to regulate the finance industry properly because of threats by the industry to move offshore – a threat easily carried out thanks to modern technology.

The power of multinational corporations generally is illustrated by the need that governments feel to appease them through ever lower taxes.

Apathy encourages this rotten state of affairs to thrive but don’t expect any of the main parties to change things.

If you do what you have always done, you’ll get what you have always got.

Clive Shakesheff, Lewis Way, Chepstow