CAST your mind back to the Labour party conference. A matter of some significance slipped past virtually unnoticed.

"I want to put myself forward for a third term and if elected I would serve that full term.''

"The decision, of course, is one for the country, but if elected I would serve a full term but I would not stand for a fourth term... I do not think the British people will want me to serve a fourth term...''

Strange that no-one interjected: "Hang on a minute, Tony'' - for of course it was our Prime Minister who was speaking. Strange that while his remarks triggered an avalanche of speculation about his future, and the leadership of the Labour Party, no attention was paid to the assumptions behind the remarks.

What has "the country'' or the "British people'' to do with Tony Blair serving or not serving a fourth term, either as Labour leader or Prime Minister? Only the voters of Sedgefield constituency have the name Anthony Blair on their ballot papers. Only they have the power to put him in, or out, of Parliament. And not even they select him as Prime Minister. That role is reserved for members of the Labour Party.

What Tony Blair's comments, and the unquestioning acceptance of them, signals is that we now have a presidential system without the opportunity to elect the president. Increasingly, we put our crosses on the ballot paper according to how we perceive the party leaders, for whom the official candidates are but surrogates.

With so many general election votes already virtually worthless because of the predominance of safe seats, having a Prime Minster who exercises presidential powers, is generally regarded as a president in all but name, and yet never faces the electorate as such, is a further diminution of our democracy that should be a cause for concern.

HAVING a newspaper column is a great privilege which, in my opinion, is abused by using it to pursue personal matters. But there are exceptions.

Since last November my wife and I have been trying to get North Yorkshire highways department to repaint a Keep Clear sign at the access to our house, in a village on the B1257, the Stokesley-Helmsley road, notorious for its speeding motorbikes.

Of course the Keep Clear zone was installed in the first place by the highways in recognition of a road safety need. But despite always receiving a polite and positive response - virtually "yes, we appreciate your concern and we'll do our best to attend to the matter'' - our many phone calls have a drawn a complete blank.

Well, almost. For the other day, bringing the last straw, a white-lining machine turned up, marked out a couple of new Keep Clear zones down the street, but failed to renew the now barely-visible markings at our entrance, shared incidentally by others who have also contacted the county council.

What gives this little local saga a broader significance is that throughout the year-long failure to carry out this small job, North Yorkshire County Council has been pressing, in the context of local government reform, to be entrusted with delivering all local services across its vast area from Whitby almost to the west coast. A great joke, you'll agree.