SOME of your readers may have picked up a glaring inconsistency in the argument put forward by Dr Julian Lewis (Letters August 3).

Our local MP thinks that it is fine for the law makers in the House of Lords to be unelected, on the basis that some of them are experts.

Leaving aside the fact that many of them would struggle to convince me they hold any special expertise, this qualification is not sufficient for them to be determining the law of the land.

I would expect a Tory MP to resist any change to a system that he and his party will likely benefit from. However, you cannot argue that the unelected experts in the strategic health authority have no mandate to add fluoride to our tap water, or the unelected experts in our local health trust to close mental health units, whilst supporting an antiquated system where you get a seat in the House of Lords by way of birth, or being a party political loyalist.

Let there be elections to the House of Lords. Let the people decide which experts have the right to thwart or support our MPs.

COUNCILLOR DAVID HARRISON, New Forest Liberal Democrats .