SIR, – Your editorial and excellent headline (The SF, April 1) goes a long way in summing up the perilous state of democracy in a populist age. Free and fair elections are a prerequisite in any fair-minded, properly functioning, modern society.

The absence – even the perception of absence – especially in the circumstances, believed to have taken place at the Crofting Commission, is corrosive and further erodes confidence and trust in a polity and political class which is failing many. The stench of venality is pervasive.

The silence of ministers in an arrogant, centralising, power grabbing regime is bad enough. The absence of scrutiny from those paid to hold that government to account is an outrage.

‘I’m not going down that road’ is an abdication of responsibility to the electorate, a courtesy to vested interests and a further nail in the coffin of democratic accountability.

To see an heir to the political heritage of Gladstone and Asquith, preening himself prior to interview, offering an over-weaning minister all the help he can to remove a man from office as he fought tooth and nail to adhere to good governance at the Crofting Commission, is a grotesque betrayal of all who believe in maintaining the rights of the individual and a parody of what passes for scrutiny.

There was a time when one might lose one’s head for standing up to authoritarianism. Not-with-standing, brave men were wont to try to halter an over mighty magnate. Would that there were such principled people of calibre and courage in our polity prepared to challenge the haughty in power.

There is more to democracy than elections, referendum and appearances before committees to ‘bristle’ at obsequious interlocutors who back off meekly.

The rule of law, the proper relationship between government and its agencies, the supremacy of parliament, the adherence to principled and independent codes of conduct by the bureaucracy, not ministerial fiat, and the circumvention of regulations, is all that protects us from a populist mirror image of democratic freedom.

Regaining trust is difficult. An acknowledgement of poor past judgement calls, excessive pandering to the most vociferous, unwarranted interference and a re-run of a botched election process would be a start.

IK MacKenzie

The Willows,

Elphin,

Lairg,

Sutherland.