Letter: Start voting, Swampy

Sir: For many years I have written, faxed and e-mailed appeals to toxic governments around the world, as part of Amnesty International's Urgent Action Network, which mobilises quickly to help people in grave danger of torture or execution. Many of these people are in life-threatening circumstances in their countries simply because they have campaigned for democracy and the right to vote.

I admire Swampy & Co enormously for their road protests, and abhor much of UK politics, but can never agree that not voting is acceptable.

Less of the chic boredom and nihilism, Suzanne Moore ("No wonder politics is nothing to rave about", 21 February), and consider what you'd do if you lived in a place where government is so very much more "deformed" than in Britain. For a start, you probably couldn't even write your oh- so-jaded article.

GLORIA McSHANE

Richmond, North Yorkshire