IN the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils May elections, we had the fiasco of more than 2,250 having their right to vote denied.

We have heard all the excuses but whichever way you look at it, the root cause was the incompetence of the returning officer.

Now we have Oxford City Council ignoring public objections and going ahead with the closure of Temple Cowley swimming pool and agreeing to waste more than £9m, despite cries of poverty, on building a new pool in Blackbird Leys which few people want.

Next we have Oxfordshire County Council who were exposed for making a surplus out of residents’ parking permit fees when they said no surplus would be made.

And now in response to people asking for a £10 rebate, they may instead get a £20 increase, just for their cheek in asking for a rebate.

Is this the freedom and democracy which millions of people who made the ultimate sacrifice in two world wars fought for?

If they could now speak I’m sure they would say NO!

But as we all know, councillors and members of parliament refuse to listen to anything which goes against their own personal views.

No wonder this country is in such a mess.

KEITH BROOKS, Gateley, Horspath, Oxford