R EGARDING the special meeting of Burnley Council on January 7 and your editorial views, I attended as a member of the public and as a Lowerhouse resident.

I can well understand why a large number of Labour councillors did not attend. If they had, they would have been compelled to support and vote for measures they do not agree with.

Any dissension could have resulted in actions being taken against them as members of the Labour Party - they could have been expelled, suspended or removed from the panel of candidates for the forthcoming elections in May. Indeed, the fact that they did not attend may result in some form of reprisal being taken against them.

I am told that if a free vote had been allowed, the resolution before the council would have failed and the matter resolved to the satisfaction of the majority of members.

The review exonerates the councillors named in the report from any personal gain or interest. Any action they have taken has been solely for the benefit of residents who have approached them as councillors for their help. This is surely what councillors are elected for and I applaud and support them for doing their duty.

I was appalled and disgusted by the stage-managed meeting and although I have voted Labour all my life, I will never vote Labour in a local council election again and a number of my neighbours feel the same way.

If Labour lose Lowerhouse, they will eventually lose control of the council.

BRIAN FIELDING, Devon Grove, Burnley.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.