Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, made an unwise remark to a reporter and was suspended for four weeks on full pay. In Fenland, Alan Melton, former leader of Fenland District Council, made an unwise remark to a reporter, to reveal, too soon, that he had b

Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, made an unwise remark to a reporter and was suspended for four weeks on full pay.In Fenland, Alan Melton, former leader of Fenland District Council, made an unwise remark to a reporter, to reveal, too soon, that he had been found completely innocent of spurious charges that had been laid against him. For that, he was suspended for four months without pay.Illogical, inconsistent and unfair, certainly, but isn't there a much wider issue?Surely, in a democracy, it is for the voters - or in extreme circumstances, a court of law - to decide whether a politician continues in the job for which he was elected? Not some unelected, unaccountable Labour Government quango?ANDREW VARNEYStation RoadMarch