SIR – I get a warm sense of humorous satisfaction when lefties like David Barnett puff out their chests and sneer down their noses in the belief they have scored a victory over their political foes, when they miss the bigger picture.

His Friday column was once again filled with anti-BNP rhetoric, but surely, Mr Barnett didn’t miss the irony of Nick Griffin being excluded from Buckingham Palace for “making political capital” and then spending 48 hours in the media, from 7.30am on GMTV to Sky News, to morning headlines, and even being the subject of a column at the back of a local newspaper.

This also allows Mr Griffin to keep playing the victim and strengthen his supporters’ resolve and determination, those that wish to spread the BNP’s message. An increase in their number of candidates, and an increase in overall numbers of voters, is not what I would call a “drubbing” in the election, however you try to spin it.

G Drake, Sangster Way, Bradford