I WOULD like to express my deep sadness at the action taken by Clive Smith (Longstanding Lib Dem goes Green, Gazette, November 23).

I have known him for almost 30 years and have always admired his resilience and commitment.

I am not alone in sharing Clive’s frustrations about the coalition and the education, health and social welfare policies coming out of it.

However, when I am particularly concerned about something I look to the party website where there is a wealth of information about what the party would like to be doing and indeed what it has managed to do so far.

Everyone, regardless of politics, has a responsibility to try to make sure it is not the dignity of the most vulnerable which is most affected.

It isn’t about having a head-in-the-sand attitude; it is about recognising that life has some hard realities.

After all it was the electorate which refused a governing mandate to any one political party, and in my opinion an electorate disillusioned by politicians making promises they could not possibly keep in the hard light of international as well as British affairs.

JENNETTE DAVY Malvern