The last-minute sacking of a councillor who had the insight and courage to speak out individually, in order to push the schools proposals through was staggering to the point of being surreal. How Councillor Pat Hawkes could portray this person as being selfish and short-sighted is shameful.

The secondary school transfer situation in Brighton is difficult and it would have been impossible to solve with everybody being happy but given what is at stake I would have hoped Coun Hawkes would have taken stock of two very reasonable points.

One is that more children will have to be transported to their secondary schools and the second is there are far too many children for the Varndean/Stringer catchment.

Coun Hawkes would have retained my respect if she had the courage to throw out the proposals and rethink, drawing upon the considerable expertise that is available in this city among interested parents.

I will not be voting Labour at the next election. Coun Hawkes has robbed me of my faith in the party she represents. The interest of party politics should never be placed above the interest of the children of this city.

Michelle Foster
by email