I very much welcome the news that the Goldsmid Ward Conservatives have not re-selected serving Councillor Ayas Fallon-Khan to stand for re- election in this ward at next May’s local elections to Brighton and Hove City Council (The Argus, September 2).

I would however take issue with the claim this indicates there is a notable rift between Hove and Brighton Conservatives. Coun Fallon-Khan’s old job as cabinet member for Central Services went to another Hove Councillor, Trevor Alford, and his lost deputy leadership position went to another Hove councillor too – Coun Brian Oxley.

Rifts are rife in all political parties as factions form, split and form again. Worldwide, politics is a constant churn of loyalty-shifting, changes to policy-making and personnel changes. It is a grubby game that brings out the worst in many people and the best in only a few.

In the previous Labour administration we had the example of almost every planning officer in Brighton and Hove City Council signing a letter of complaint about being leaned on about the King Alfred planning application. Before we even knew about that, the public knew exactly who to vote out in the 2007 local elections. It seemed to me that all the right councillors were punished for their policy outrages and arrogance concerning major developments in Brighton and Hove.

The fact that the current minority Conservative administration has an enormous job ahead of it to hang onto power at next May’s local elections is a given. Judicious pruning at this stage in all the political parties will sit well with voters and I look forward to seeing which other serving councillors may be “pruned out” in order to strengthen their party’s offer at the polls.

Valerie Paynter
Clarendon Road, Hove