THE defection of the Tory MP, Shaun Woodward, to Labour once again highlights a basic flaw in the British electoral system to Parliament/s. The person is chosen by the electorate for two reasons, the candidate's political party and his or her perceived personal strengths. Any person elected as an MP, MSP, or MEP is thus honour bound to uphold these two conditions and to hold them in trust for the electorate.

For an elected MP to change from one party to another and to remain within the electorate, without initially resigning as an MP, is a corrupt practice and does the political process a great disservice. A change of party by an MP demands an initial resignation from the MP and a fresh election in the constituency.

The fact that Shaun Woodward changed from the Conservatives to Labour shows the current right-wing swing in British politics from which many in Britain are currently suffering.

Ian F M Saint-Yves,

Dunvegan, School Brae, Whiting Bay,

Isle of Arran. December 20.

THE confused and inconsistent reaction of the Conservative hierarchy to the defection of Shaun Woodward to Labour speaks volumes for the utter mess they find themselves in.

Tory Chairman Michael Ancram, a man who once commanded the respect of people of all political affiliations, is claiming this week that he'd always thought that Mr Woodward wasn't to be trusted. If that were indeed the case, is it not strange that he was given the massive responsibility of running the successful 1992 General Election campaign for the Tories and was a leading frontbencher? Are the Tories in the habit of picking untrustworthy people to sit on their front bench?

William Hague has also chimed in with his predictable tuppenceworth, saying that the defection was motivated by self-interest on the part of Mr Woodward. Mr Hague could be right, for once. Mr Woodward is far more likely to be elected advocating sensible New Labour policies than the reactionary knee-jerk policies of the ultra-right, which characterise today's Tory Party.

Simon Tiernan,

28 Arbuthnot Road, Loanhead.

December 20.

AS Tony Blair and the other New Labour right-wingers celebrate the gain of Shaun Woodward they might care to reflect on the line from scripture which asks what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.

Derrick White,

Brounshill, Gifford. December 19.

MR David Williamson (Letters, December 17) takes issue with the concept underlying this year's Prime Ministerial Christmas card. I suppose if a person professes Christianity, the obvious thing to do is to lay the Christian message centre-stage. But if a person is confused about the true identity of God's Anointed, he might place a picture of himself on a Christmas card.

Next year's card will surely be different; by then, the Blairs will have a new-born infant to adore, allowing them to create a more traditional Christmas scene. I am sure that Mr Alastair Campbell could suggest a suitably lowly location nearby. Would Mrs Windsor's stables just up the road fit the bill?

James Munro,

53 Fulton Street, Glasgow.

December 17.

DAVID Williamson's letter today expressed sadness that the Prime Ministerial Christmas card was off message insofar as it seemed to take Christ out of Christmas. Perhaps the appropriate focus group advised that the electorate would find reference to more than one deity confusing and that hard choices would have to be made? As we know from his decision to ignore the Royal Commission on treatment of the elderly and its advice that the infirm should have treatment free via the NHS, Mr Blair is your man when choices that are hard for others have got to be made.

John A. Maxwell,

10 Beechwood Court, Bearsden.

December 17.

SADLY I fear that Fred McDermid (Letters, December 17) is being far too optimistic and will have to forgo his slice of carrot cake as his 75p extra pension will soon be swallowed up by the increase in his council tax charge.

In this instance Mr McDermid can neither expect to have his cake nor eat it.

John G Hall,

33 High Street, Stewarton.

December 17.

AFTER all the pre-election promises and in the aftermath of huge health board debts all over the country; longer waiting-lists, fewer beds, and fewer nurses; job losses right, left, and centre; soaring council taxes so that Gordon Brown can avoid taking more income tax from his wealthy friends (?) and boost his ''war chest'' at the same time; and of course not forgetting the massive increases in motoring costs - there must surely now be many thousands in Scotland who regret voting Labour at the Scottish election and the General Election.

We thought we were badly put upon by the Tories but could any political party - or even 129 people picked at random off the street - have made a bigger mess of government than this lot we are saddled with? What we now have is incompetent Labour council government writ large and if they can't sort themselves out PDQ they should throw in the towel and give someone else a chance.

Tom McCallum,

7 Barnton Place, Dumfries.

December 13.