It is reported that Hove Labour Party has been told to nominate a woman as the next parliamentary candidate for Hove.

The current trend of political correctness to have an equal number of men, women and minority groups as MPs means a dumbing down of Parliament.

If we do not have the best qualified as MPs then Britain will be on a slippery slope to becoming a poorer nation.

Men, women and minority interests can seek selection as parliamentary candidates and it should be the best who are selected.

It is totally wrong for the electorate to be denied the best candidate because of political correctness. Quite clearly, we would not be at war in Iraq if we had better MPs.

Ask any MP how much the war has cost us so far and you will not get an answer.

Dumbed-down MPs are only there to support the party, not to ask questions or put forward the views of the electorate.

-B Bayliss, Hove