Letters to the Editor

Independent Spectator

Peter Kelly, Desmond Albrow

Dying Liberalism

Geoffrey Aclartd, Allan Batham, M. R. Tannahill, Elliott Dodds

Film Censorship Playing to Rule Enosis The Passing of St. Agatha's Lloyd George Horse Sense The Banking System

Thomas Wrlson Nancy Crawshaw F. Gordon Roe Pendril Bentall E. C. Preece Henry Kowal

Adrian Brunel, Peter Young, James B. Hawkins, Ben Artz

INDEPENDENT SPECTATOR

SIR,—'Independence,' when used in reference to politics, should surely signify that the individual citizen is enabled to reach his own judgements free from all inducements other than argument and, further, to express as

much as possible of his own values in his contribution to political life.

Independence so understood is something very estimable and desirable at a time when the individual is coming to count for so little. But when independence is so understood. Sir. your editorial of January 7, in which you say how you propose- to make the best of the two- party system, is, if you will allow me the courtesy of your space to say so, largely an apologia for apathy.

At the present time in our society the inde- pendent man should be at constant war with the two-party system. He should ttot tire of exposing the imperfection of a democracy where the individual is consulted only at five- yearly intervals; where, in effect, no ordinary citizen can aspire to a seat in the representative assembly unless one of the great parties makes its funds and its machine available to him; where questions of policy are often decided

not by parliamentary debate (who expects that?), nor yet by the Cabinet, but by party bosses whose influence owes nothing to constitytional processes; where the immense responsibilities of our single elected assembly are so little commensurate with the six months

a ye,ar during which it sits that the great bulk of public affairs is run by an army of civil

servants. He should point out that a choice between two parties, each of which stands, roughly, for the same unimaginative brand of modified capitalism, is not so very much better than, the much-mocked Communist choice of only one party. If you, Sir, choose to make your peace with the two-party system, and even to give your qualified support to the Conservative Party. I deplore it but do not dispute your right to make such a choice—which is, be it admitted. the choice of most; but I maintain that you should not associate such submission with a claim to independence.—Yours faithfully,

PETER KELLY

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