Chris English (Letters, October 11) issued a call for a popular vote on several contentious issues facing Brighton and Hove and this is exactly what we need.

Politicians hate referendums, which frequently blow apart their cynical claims that they are fulfilling the public's wishes.

Usually one finds that the arguments put forward in favour of such schemes as the "Tin Can Towers" for the King Alfred site in Hove are, in fact, the views of a tiny, vociferous minority.

Let's have a strictly run vote and highlight the degree of support, or otherwise, that is really out there.

I fear the words of Ron Wood - "So many mothers now have to work and they have little time to cook", relying more on less nutritious "junk" - have some validity (Letters, October 10).

I also fear that in 2053 a letter may well say: "So many mothers and fathers had to work 50 years ago that they had little time to care adequately for their own children.

"No wonder today's adults, who were children then, are now facing such enormous personal and emotional difficulties.

"Who was responsible then for creating such a shortsightedly cruel and uncaring society, which forced families apart by having them work such long hours with pitiful reward, thus depriving mother, father and children of enough love and care for a healthy and happy life together as a family in the community?"

-Richard W Symonds, Ifield, Crawley