What is happening to Conservative social policy? The impression being given is of a party facing in several directions at once.

Francis Maude, MP for Horsham, seems to have swallowed the permissive liberal agenda hook, line and sinker on the assumption that if you can't beat them, join them.

Mr Maude advocates allowing unmarried couples to adopt children and wants rigged lists of candidates at elections to favour more women, ethnic minorities, adulterers and homosexuals.

Mr Maude's motives may be well-intentioned but I believe they are profoundly wrong. We must aspire as a nation to higher standards in both our public and private lives, even if we don't always succeed.

Our country is crying out for leadership from politicians and others who are not prepared to sell their souls just to gain power at the next election.

However, Mr Maude's remarks have particular relevance as far as Brighton and Hove is concerned.

At present we have an unprecedented situation, because all the main parties are supporting or actively promoting sexual permissiveness as a political objective.

In the past, we could at least rely on the Conservatives to pay lip service to supporting God's law and family values but this is no longer the case and will result in many people, especially committed Christians, becoming disenfranchised because none of the political parties are reflecting their point of view.

Unless this changes, it is likely that even fewer citizens will turn out to vote at the next local election.

-Alan Nunn, Pipers Close, Hove