LETTERS

摘要

Your leader notes irrational legislation (30 January, p 5). Whatever politics is said to be, its purpose is evidently to enable senior politicians to secure benefits for themselves, their colleagues and friends. Any benefits to members of the public, such as economic well-being or security, are merely outcomes: by-products of the process. The purpose of something and the outcome, if the purpose is accomplished, are different things. Further, politicians, almost uniquely, face no tests of their capability to do the job for which they are paid. Constituency selection processes are intended only to establish that an individual has a chance of delivering a few outcomes. Their ignorance of many subjects -other than politics itself - leads to fiascos such as that described by Clare Wilson (30 January, p 26). The UK Tory party advocates sacking "underperforming" teachers: is it not well past time that there was an independent system that culled the 50 most useless politicians each year? This would include exams in science, history and relevant disciplines.