Letter: Growth will not pay for Labour's plan

Sir: Swampy's call "Don't vote, act" (Letters, 2 April) just incenses me, as does the proud boast by some members of the Referendum Party that this will be the first time (in some cases in 40 years) that they will vote.

These, and other non-voters, bear much responsibility for the mess we are now in. Had they bothered to take an interest in what was going on and used their vote after making an informed decision, their collective voices would have been loud enough to be heard.

They did nothing: sat back and let self-servers take over. When things began to go wrong they consoled themselves - it wasn't their fault as they hadn't voted the Government in. So again they did nothing.

Some get carried away with the excitement of such campaigns as "Can't pay. Won't pay" (which resulted in the disenfranchising of thousands); Swampy in his tunnel; the Referendum Party and other single-issue candidates, while those in power will be happy that there are so many wasting their votes - thus allowing those who have risen to the top under the present government to use their vote to keep themselves there.

Here's to a Conservative win in 1997, courtesy of the non-voter.

JOSEPHINE SHEPHARD

Ryde, Isle of Wight