A “play on words” is an expression we often hear. It is often a case of one word meaning much the same as another.

Words such as “sorry” or “regret” sound similar and convey feelings that suggest remorse, but in the world of politics this is clearly not the case.

Whether Damian McBride intended to go public or not, the content of his emails have certainly reverberated and coloured the waters.

Is it a distraction/diversion, or an attempt to avoid the real issues? The fact is that the dialogue of spin is counter-productive. It may provide respite from the mundane, but it poisons the air, depriving those who seek the best from politics.

Reforming policies are built on rhetoric and transformed by resilience using power to release the oppressed; protecting the vulnerable and promoting the victim while seeking to eradicate the actions of those who perpetrate pain and suffering.

Let’s get back to the real agenda and extract smear from politics (I know it has been said before by both main political parties). The victor at the next General Election will be the party that stands for substance, reducing sleaze and smear to the gutter.

Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe, Durham.