I would like to take the opportunity, through the letters page, to thank the residents of Brookmeadow Ward for having elected me to Hertsmere Borough Council three times over the past nine years. I enjoyed, immensely, working in the community and meeting so many people from different walks of life. I hope, through case work and through delivering improvements to the local environment, that I have left some impression and enriched some peoples lives. I was disappointed not to be re-elected. This was mainly a consequence of the national swing against Labour and the "Iraq factor". This is somewhat ironic in my case. I was one of the first people to campaign against the war and, with Councillor Silverstone, led a protest outside the Labour Party local government conference in February 2003. But that, to employ the most tired of clichs, is politics.

One thing that I can take from the campaign was the use of new(ish) technology. I set up a website giving more information about myself and the campaign and this allowed residents to send e-mails to me and to thus engage in further discussion. This was quite successful.

This brings me to the thing that I would most like to see Hertsmere continue to push forwards: the promotion of e-government and I hope the councillors on the borough council will see this as the key policy facing local government in the 2000s.

After nine years the big question for me is 'what to do now'? I am going to use my newly found free time to campaign against the spread of fascism and fascist parties which are blighting the British political scene.

Tim Sandle Outgoing councillor Brookmeadow Ward