Councillor Ben Duncan wants us all out on the streets during the Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend to march for Smash EDO (The Argus, April 28).

Does Brighton and Hove City Council take business rates from EDO?

Does it collect council tax from its employees?

Surely a true commitment to the cause of peace would mean such “blood money” would be declined without hesitation.

After all, if Coun Duncan’s wishes are fulfilled, that money will go elsewhere anyway.

And how about the council’s benefit from the tourist industry, from parking charges, partnership fees and the money people spend when they stay here?

Surely they all deserve some money back too, if Coun Duncan wants to disrupt peoples’ bank holiday weekend?

He must know these protests almost always, without fail, turn nasty.

We see from Government the damage inflicted when inexperienced, out-of-touch, ideological and deaf-to-criticism politicians are handed the levers of power; they wreck our public services and push our economy into a double dip recession.

So too, in local government, this administration is showing signs of being “green” in more ways than one.

This council is lucky – Brighton and Hove is a diverse and tolerant city in the relatively wealthy South East region, and has the country’s first, excellent Green MP.

But one of Brighton’s main businesses is tourism, whether the council likes it or not.

It is what pays to keep the city running and many of its citizens employed.

It is, after all, partly what pays for Coun Duncan.

Brian Snow, Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton

I AM amazed at Coun Duncan’s comments encouraging residents to take part in the Smash EDO protest.

As the council’s representative on the Sussex Police Authority, Coun Duncan should be advising protesters to abide the law and work with the police to enable proper supervision of the event.

This, coupled with Coun Duncan’s comments in The Argus on May 1 (and subsequently in the Daily Telegraph) calling for cannabis cafés to be licensed to boost city tourism, beggars belief.

Does he not realise that by asking people to protest he is damaging tourism and small businesses?

I really must ask the question: Is Coun Duncan suitable to be a councillor, let alone a senior representative on the Sussex Police Authority?

Ted Kemble, Gordon Road, Portslade