Malton is ignoring its most famous MP, although I, the prospective Independent candidate for Malton and Thirsk am not.

Campaigning on a slogan, “Fed up with party politicians”, I say that the scathing comments Edmund Burke, Malton’s famous 18th century MP, made about political parties would strike a chord with today’s voters. What Burke said can be found on my website – camrecon.demon.co.uk.

The brown plaque on the wall of the old museum, supposedly commemorating this great man, is a disgrace and should be cleaned up in his honour. Few people realise it is there it is so shabby.

Recognising public disgust with party politicians, I can reveal serious flaws in the party system and why only a vote for an Independent is a safe option.

For example, if you vote for any party candidate you pay him through your taxes, but he votes as directed by his party. What a lovely racket the parties have got going.

Party politicians unashamedly say they want power, so we blindly proceed to give it to them. For example, the clever trick of all parties is to engage in the bribing contest they call “democracy” and to persuade the public to vote around single emotive issues, such as the NHS, without their realising that a party manifesto is a complete “package” of other unseen, possibly dangerous policies.

Each vote, transferred thus to the government via your local candidate/party representative, is claimed to be the undeniable democratic will of the electorate and licences every government power to do as it wishes.

Even poor non-voting Russell Brand gets a “package”.

Compare this compulsory package idea with real freedom to accept or reject one policy at a time – that is, to opt out of any bit you don’t like and you now understand why Hailsham called our system “elective dictatorship” and why when any party politician says, “in this free and democratic country of ours” he is talking nonsense.

When you vote for a genuine Independent you transfer into safe custody and no further. Your rights and concerns to act on your behalf and every issue are judged on its merits.

My role is to control power – the government – not be part of it; the exact opposite of the dangerous blank cheque when you vote for a party manifesto. It is centralisation of power that causes corruption in high places. On that basis, I should hope for a positive response. This time the voters who pay my wages get me to act for them, not for the party machines.

Martin Cruttwell, Scrayingham, Independent election candidate