Peter Crowhurst (Letters, March 3) is not quite correct when he claims: "I realise that the Government requires the council to move to a cabinet system."

The Tory administration could have - if it had so wished - followed London's example and moved to a directly elected mayor system. But this, it seems, would have been a step too far.

The reason for the Government's drive to reorganise local government is its conviction - to quote the White Paper - that "leadership is the single most significant driver of change and improvement in local authorities".

This is the crux of the issue. Will the emerging council structure produce people with leadership qualities commensurate with the administrative power given to them?

At the national level politics is more about personalities than policies, reinforcing the points made in the White Paper.

Unfortunately, I don't believe the cabinet system will produce leadership of quality as has happened in London with its directly elected mayor. In a cabinet system decision responsibility will still be difficult to identify. All of which brings us again to the question of transparency and the people being aware of what's going on.

  • RG Jenkins, Welbeck Avenue, Hove