THE problem of dementia caused by traffic, and the degradation of the environment are concerns expressed so well by your readers recently,

This is only a part of a wider problem of public health degradation and a general failure of policies driven by the greed of the few over the needs of the many. The death rate in the UK has been steadily rising since 2011 and experts are alarmed by this.

Professor Dorling , of Oxford University, thinks this is largely due to health cuts for care of the elderly, such as meals on wheels.

Families, too, are desperate to avoid paying for Care Home fees-around £1000 a week, yes-a week - are typical fees, where even your home can end up being in hoc.

There are large sums of money councils will make from housing "development" - something my friend - a recently retired high ranking official on Merseyside - confirmed is the case.

Councils, though, can only have one response, brow beaten by their masters in Whitehall and struggling, as they are, to pay for remaining services even after truly massive cuts.

The government excuse for their cynicism, now quietly dropped, was that the national debt needed reducing. Any study of the statistics proves what nonsense that was, The reality is a growing gap between the rich and the rest of us and the lack of investment consequent to this.

The political dogma of the past 40 years followed by all the major political parties, and indeed by the EU as a whole, has left this country with huge problems. Take, for example, the historic and awesome balance of payments deficit over the past five years, totally ignored at the last General Election.

We need to make the connection between a ruthless and inept national government and a weakened local government. The creation of a Lord Mayor is a fig leaf to hide the lack of any desire for a coherent strategy to answer to our social needs.

John Fitzpatrick, via email