I AM VERY pleased to learn that Nick Murry, an Independent representative, was elected into our county council to replace the retired Chris Caswill, who became an Independent councillor some years ago and who achieved good results in the county council business.
In addition, Independent representatives Pete Bishop and Raj Gill, as well as Nick Murry, have all been elected as Chippenham town councillors, increasing the number to five Independent councillors.
For some time I have wondered why the House of Commons political parties, such as Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat, have been represented in local government for a long time. 
It has seemed to me for some time that the Commons political parties are not necessary to be elected in local governments. The different major political parties are necessary for election in the House of Commons because of their very different views on some aspects of national and international government features. 
Of course, the treatments by them of the national funding do differ one from the other.
County and town local government level does need elected members who are well aware of the state of the local funding, the state of local inhabitants and their desires, and also the most important features for which the funds are to be used. 
Whichever of the major political parties they support and vote for in the national government really does not matter at all for correctly sorting out local government levels.
JIM BELK
Esmead 
Chippenham