I AM extremely concerned by the MP sleaze scandals of recent weeks. I simply don’t believe these issues exist in a bubble.

When politicians openly and knowingly fail their constituents, this is a symptom of something far more rotten at the heart of our political system. I’ve been following Best for Britain’s work on the government’s anti-democratic agenda. Several bills are passing through parliament at the moment which threaten to undermine our democracy.

The Elections Bill will remove the independence of the Electoral Commission and undermine its ability to monitor elections. Other bills, such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and the Judicial Review and Courts Bill all take power out of the hands of ordinary people and our democratic institutions and concentrate it in the hands of the government.

The fact that this government is so happy to take liberties with public trust is, I fear, a sad sign that this government is already preparing for a future where it cannot be held accountable.

DAVE JOHNSON

Disraeli Road,

Christchurch