How right John Parry was when he says the referendum debate has been puerile (October 12).

"Child-like" is probably the best way to describe the No campaign's deeply dishonest description of the power of a mayor, as some kind of malevolent monster controlling a dark, dangerous and unpredictable future, thus scaring the voters witless into voting No.

The campaign has been a treacherous betrayal of Brighton and Hove as a new city, poised to step boldly into a bright future but likely now to be plunged into the dark, medieval mediocrity of a committee system.

The Yes campaign has been equally nave, with an ingenuous idealism, an unrealistic conviction that the future will be easy and a mildly adolescent bullying.

On any objective political science and management theory basis, both systems could work equally well to deliver excellent services to the public.

Hence, the Yes-No choice should be made on a subjective, aesthetic, gut-feel basis that takes risks for the future beauty of Brighton and Hove.

It is shame the debate has not been conducted on this more profound level.

-Roy Pennington, Hendon Street, Brighton