The photo of Roger French and his sidekicks tying up Brighton and Hove City Council officers in red tape at the launch of their campaign for a business-style mayor (The Argus, September 6) was utterly baffling. They're confusing the internal council structure of officers - the "bureaucracy" they berate - with the elective system of public committees.

It is the internal town hall operation that tends to produce the cluttering red tape rather than the checks and balances of debate driven by elected local councillors.

It may help the Yes campaign promoters to muddle this up. Yet they start dishonestly and that can hardly be a good sign for those of us yet to be assured of their intentions.

-Richard Witts, Little George Street, Brighton