IS it any wonder that members of Parliament follow the leader and don't rock their boat, by criticising his policies.

Since Labour were elected to Government in 1997, members of Parliament have failed to debate and pass bills of dire importance to the country. Many excuses have been made for the lack of time available. Parliament is very rarely full.

Members of Parliament, however, have found time, to reduce their working week; they have found time to increase their salaries and expenses, substantially, arguing that they deserve more money. They have found time to increase their pension and other benefits. They have found time to give themselves an uninterrupted 80-day break, in the summer, this is in addition to the other days and weeks that Parliament closes for business, and of course they don't work weekends. It is no wonder they have the energy for other super human things, as Cherie pointed out?

Is it any wonder, therefore, that bills they do manage to pass, are not being thought through properly and invariably turn out to be bad bills?

These negative facts of the way our country is managed should serve to prove to all of us that Parliament needs a thorough shake up and sooner, rather than later.

I found the announcement from 10, Downing Street that Blair was continuing working despite his back injection, the ultimate sick joke, coming probably from the sick doctor, himself, Alastair Campbell - whose name suddenly reminds me that there are too many people in our country enjoying too much, for too little on the backs of the taxpayer. Wake up Britain. Politicians are on the gravy train, from districts, all of the way through to Europe, stopping at county, regional, Westminster, to the terminal in Brussells. (You'll need a calculator to add them all up plus civil servants and ancillaries.)

DOUGLAS J WATHEN, Alcester Road, Rushford, Salford Priors.