Local authority politics can often better reflect the wishes of the electorate than in parliamentary constituencies. In wards that elect more than one councillor here in York, for instance, we have recently elected Labour and Green councillors, which the voters seem to like. On the other hand, progressive Liberal Democrats, following their parliamentary colleagues in 2010, are in coalition with the Tories, keeping out Labour as the biggest party, reflecting the fact that Lib Dem voters do not always see themselves as part of the progressive centre-left spectrum. Labour voters and members would always prefer any alternative to the Tories if a Labour government is out of reach, but other non-Tory voters need to be convinced, making the case for a progressive alliance far from straightforward.
Steve Flatley
York
• Goodness, Guardian, what’s happening? You’re now printing some lively, preceptive and even funny material. Zoe Williams is fired up and I love this from Paul Mason: “What we are up against is not just the antics of the Tory negotiating team … but also a galaxy of pub bores, Rotarians and golf-club sexists”. It seems this election just may have reminded you that you are not a Tory paper and that if your bete noir Corbyn doesn’t get in, or at least get enough votes to stop May’s madness going full throttle, we’re all sunk. Free-thinking journalism is likely to be stifled even further and there will be some pretty angry readers accusing you of not doing enough to support Labour.
Mora McIntyre
Hove, East Sussex
• As a Guardian-reading Rotarian (45 years the former, 10 years the latter), I was disappointed to find myself lumped alongside “pub bores and golf-club sexists” by Paul Mason, where he wondered which “galaxy” we would like to be in regarding Britain’s Brexit strategy. The Rotary organisation is expressly non-political and I was very happy for Paul to sign my copy of his book Postcapitalism at a recent local literary festival.
David Watkinson
Appleby, Cumbria
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