ROBERT Baggs who announced his intention to stand in the forthcoming local elections for the British National Party, in your paper last week must be a sad and jaded man.

He harks back to his youth in Calne and can see nothing that has changed for the better. He has failed to notice that most people have a greatly improved standard of living, enjoy a longer life and better health than ever before. In Calne we have huge improvements in educational provision, health facilities and job opportunities.

Mr Baggs feels threatened by immigrants and asylum seekers, but he has never stopped to consider what Britain and Calne has gained over many centuries in terms of talent and ideas, not to mention broadening the gene pool, from welcoming new residents to this country. There has always been an inflow and outflow to and from this country and the benefits are incalculable. I don't have to search back through many generations to find immigrant forbears and I don't expect Mr Baggs would have to either.

Yes, Calne has changed and is changing, not everything is right and probably never will be, but trying to preserve it as some kind of insular time warp, as Mr Baggs appears be advocating, would be so much worse.

CAROLINE WEBBER

District Councillor Calne North

Compton Bassett