SIR – Over the last 30 to 40 years, I have seen governments, local and national, introduce ‘improvements’ of one sort or another, but in all cases that I can recall, these so-called ‘improvements’ have yielded little or no benefit, and in some cases even made things worse.

From memory, ‘improvements’ have been made to electricity, water, gas, the hospitals, the bringing in of human rights and anti-discrimination laws.

Then there is housing and the freeing-up of regulations from the financial services authority (causing the latest meltdown in the banking system), and the enlarging of local authorities, where Ilkley was absorbed by Bradford.

I could go on, but there are so many, readers will be able to fill in their own blanks. This brings me to the latest ‘improvement’, an elected Lord Mayor for Bradford. Immediately a well-known saying comes to mind: “If it ain’t broke, don’t mend it.” A G Goldsbrough, Dale Court, Fieldway, Ilkley