HOW dare your correspondant – D P Hunter (A spoilt vote . . . June 5) insult and besmirch a public servant through the direct implication that the Deputy PM would sell his mother to 'get a nice big car . . . etc.' I wince to read such rhetoric. There is no justifiable reason for such irrational abuse, even if D P Hunter has met Mr Clegg. I suspect that this attack is made without personal contact which only compounds the lack of common consideration. The rest of the letter is peppered with distortions and fallacy yet he/she claims to be a patriot; not one to whom I wish to be associated. My experience of the world reminds me that we Brits are very privileged to enjoy a life-style bought on debt and exploitation. Such discontent for many people exposes an unwillingness to recognise that our privileged standard of living has to decline to match the norm across the world. Soon, the diligent savers in China et al who have no state [tax] funded social safety net will want the return of their savings thus far loaned to the West so that they can enjoy a modest pension from their savings, triggering this overdue correction in global economic status. I conclude that despite the bile from the likes of D P Hunter and remarks of Paul Mercer [same page June 5] who rings the 'anti-wind' and anti-Europe bells, they must face up the the longterm global issues of energy, food and water supply and recognise that simply attacking the current political leaders is no solution. If they disgree, I challenge them and all readers to seek election, have a go at running their community, council or government and find out how hard is the job when faced with the irrational bile redirected towards them. Graham Reed Bere Alston