I AM absolutely appalled by the comments from Conservative councillor Dawn Barnett in your report about Green councillor Amy Kennedy, who is fighting tuberculosis (The Argus, June 22).

Rather than calling for Coun Kennedy to “stand down”, Coun Barnett should be wishing her well for the future, and a speedy return to full council duties when she has recovered.

Coun Barnett compares the situation to the absenteeism of former Conservative Councillor Paul Lainchbury – my recollection of his situation was that he simply didn’t attend meetings and resided a long way from Brighton and Hove.

There was no suggestion at the time that he was ill – he just wasn’t here. If he was ill, I would have written to The Argus to defend him.

I vote neither Green nor Blue, but I do believe in simple humanity. This is the worst form of politics – frankly, it is a disgrace. Coun Barnett should think over her words and perhaps consider an apology.

Unison wishes Amy well, and a full recovery.

Alex Knutsen, Unison, Brighton

THE news that Councillor Amy Kennedy has tuberculosis is a salient reminder that this illness is still very much with us.

Although it is not as common as it used to be, more than 9,000 people in the UK develop TB every year.

TB Alert, as the UK’s national TB charity, raises awareness so patients are diagnosed and treated before their health worsens or they pass on the infection to their families or other people in their communities.

However TB has to be tackled on a global scale, which is why the charity also works in high-incidence countries.

The tragedy of TB is that of the nine million people who develop this illness every year, a third never reach a doctor who could prescribe the antibiotics to cure them.

Many of these people die – more than one million a year – yet, in the words of our patron Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “These deaths are preventable, because for more than 50 years we have had an effective cure for this disease”.

Over the past 20 years, the international community has increased its funding for TB programmes, with the result that the number of deaths is now gradually declining.

Britain has one of the best international aid programmes in the world and our Government can take credit for the part it has played in improving health in developing countries.

At TB Alert, we are proud Britain’s fight against tuberculosis is led from Brighton.

Mike Mandelbaum, chief executive, TB Alert, Brighton