IT must be a thankless task to serve as a democratic representative of local people when a senior member of the government has openly espoused the end of representative democracy, as Peter Mandelson has done.

The appearance of accountable democracy remains, as it does in Westminster, but the reality is increasingly hollowed out by the powers outsourced to unaccountable quangos in Britain and Europe which increasingly set the agenda, regardless of the electors’ democratic decisions. We have seen this so often in Swindon when the borough council claims to be powerless over planning and other decisions which should be taken at a local level.

The outsourcing for specific services has rarely been very successful in Swindon and has cost much more than it should have.

It is a different matter and very disquieting when basic, core administrative services are farmed out to commercial companies, which may be foreign. Swindon Borough Council’s financial services contracts have long caused concern to rate payers.

This is part of a process which is going on throughout the EU. It was first brought to my attention by German colleagues who were incredulous that anybody but a citizen of the country and a regular employee of a council or government department could have an administrative or executive role in local or national government, but it is what is happening across the UK with National Government collusion.

Whatever your views, it is certain that the extension of this process will fundamentally change the nature of both local and national government. I hope you read the latest edition of Free Britain at http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/savelocaldemocracy As councillors you are there to represent the local view not that of central or European Governmental interests. This is why UKIP fully supports the aims of the Campaign for an Independent Britain as our Constitutional Policy shows.

ROBERT FEAL-MARTINEZ Old Vicarage Lane South Marston