SIR - It seems more apparent that the once hallowed ground of politics, the ‘sweet spot’ known as the electable centre ground seems to have had its day according to the results in Western politics over the last year or more.

It was the once dominant stronghold of many a Western government and the envy and aim of any potential opposition.

So where has this all gone wrong?

It has promoted itself as the common sense balance between hard left and hard right but unfortunately, giving the British experience as an example under New Labour, it holds onto right wing economics in the form of neo-liberalism that benefits primarily the wealthiest citizens as well as continuing with financial de-regulation, originally started by Thatcher in 1986, which created the financial vulnerability that created the credit crunch.

In addition to this, it adopts the social politics associated with the left that can create a ‘nanny state’ that doesn’t hold popular with most common sense voters and leads to controlling people in areas where governments should not interfere and all in all leaving a sense of business as usual amongst those who have previously voted such parties into power.

George Hitchcock, Southlands, Baildon