The money spent by Brighton & Hove City Council on transport consultants is not the only "money down the toilet".

By the time tenants vote on whether or not they will accept transfer to a new housing association, the council will have spent an estimated £1 million on consultancy, even though it knew from the beginning most tenants were opposed to the transfer and would prefer the money to be spent directly on improving their homes instead.

If Councillor Burgess wants to do a better job than Ken Bodfish before him, he will start listening to the strong opposition to this plan. He could make a good start by accompanying us on a lobby of Parliament on February 8.

We'd be delighted to have him along and he would learn a lot about how tenants are being bullied and blackmailed but are still voting "no"

in huge numbers eight of the 11 areas balloted in December voted "no" and many more, including Brighton & Hove, will follow suit.

This policy is an offence against democracy and a huge waste of public money to boot.

-Ruth Arundell, Defend Council Housing in Brighton & Hove