Now that reality has set in and the wishful thinking politicians and the media understand that there will be no Labour Party leadership struggle before we vote again, can we start to consider sensibly what are our real needs during the run-up to next year’s General Election.

First priority must be our economy. We must protect what little is left of our manufacturing base and improve our public services. Education, social services and the NHS still need to be improved.

Secondly, we must build more affordable social housing for low-income families not able to buy or pay the high rental costs of decent family accommodation in the private market.

This will help overcome some of our social problems caused by overcrowding and rising unemployment.

Hopefully, this will mean less money, from the family budgets of those who can least afford it, being spent on accommodation and the need for less credit on other family items necessary to live to a decent standard.

Just as important, we need our elected representatives to be more accountable. We really do need to know who they are and what they stand for politically and individually.

Equally, their real costs need to be transparent, even if this means paying a salary and prescribed expenses that allows them to fulfil their responsibilities, since many of us expect them to be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Essentially, let us remember, before we dash to vote for the political opportunists making popular promises, that we need to know how their policies will be achieved and what may have to be cut or taxes increased to make their promises we’ve voted for stick.

John Fray, London Road, Wheatley