I agree with John Stanaway's basic premise, though not his embellishments.

Of course councillors should listen to constituents, focus groups, tenants' associations and so on, but these have no rights and should not expect to have delegated functions, spend their own budgets and so on.

Councillors are elected by a democratic process (by however small an electorate) to shoulder responsibilities for running a local authority and not pass the buck.

This is not to say they should not be criticised. They should not be deflected from their primary purpose, for which they are well recompensed.

They should not clog up the machinery of local government with relatively minor issues at great cost and nor should they yield so much to their own egos.

The time to call them to account is at the polls.

Next time, God willing, we shall see the departure of much dead wood - though justice is not that simple and probably many of the best ones will go, not the political careerists.

-Arthur Harman, Hollingbury Crescent, Brighton