NI ELECTIONS

Sir, Feeling that at least one hurdle had been crossed in the quest for peace in Northern Ireland, I sat down to watch a BBC …

Sir, Feeling that at least one hurdle had been crossed in the quest for peace in Northern Ireland, I sat down to watch a BBC election round up programme to get a sense of how things now stood and an outline of where things were going. How depressing.

We were treated to the arrogant and macho posturing of both John Taylor and Dr Ian Paisley, as they managed to dismiss the efforts of all those involved in the election process, including the panel of representatives of the "ordinary" voters in the studio, while tossing condescending remarks at the presenter for good measure, reducing the entire outcome of the day's events to that time worn boast, "mine is bigger than yours!"

They of course then left the studio, as they refused to share it with Gerry Adams, and, by extension, John Alderdice and John Hume, who joined the programme. Has no one ever told them . . . it's not the size but what you do with it that counts" Yours, etc., Glenalla, Rathmullan, Co Donegal.