PEOPLE who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. If the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid-Worcestershire wants to criticise my voting record in the Commons, how does he explain the dismal performance of the area's only Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Keetch?

Mr Keetch was in the bottom third of MPs, 436th out of the 648 included in the published figures, and 145 places below my own place, comfortably in the top half.

In fact, voting records, taken in isolation, are a very poor indicator of an MP's diligence. As a whip, I am present in the Commons for almost every vote, except Friday votes on Private Members' Bills, when I am normally in my constituency. When I miss a vote it is generally because I choose to miss it - that is to abstain.

For example, I recently had to abstain on a Liberal motion which rightly criticised the Government's handling of foot-and-mouth disease but, bizarrely, also dragged in irrelevant criticism of the last Conservative government. I often think it's a shame that the Commons doesn't have a procedure to register principled abstentions or absence on official parliamentary business, when most (but not all) MPs would be close to a 100 per cent record.

Now, please, can local Liberals get back to the issues and forget misleading and ill-informed attacks on personalities during this campaign? There are things I could say about the Liberal candidate - but I will only do so if provoked!

PETER LUFF,

Consevrative Party Candidate for Mid-Worcestershire.