WYRE Borough Council's Labour opposition has come out with all guns blazing against the Conservative ruling group. Their ammunition? -- damp squibs.

The reason for this so-called onslaught? -- the assessment by the Audit Commission of Wyre Borough's overall performance. The assessment was the same as for Fylde and South Lakeland (and Blackpool in 2002). Little said about those three in the media.

Labour leader Geoff Horrocks and his cohorts forget to mention that the Council Performance Assessment (CPA) praises Wyre Borough on what many consider its most important function, namely "Delivery of services".

I was present at Wyre's full council meeting when CPA was on the agenda. Labour made a complete botch of it. First they tabled a motion calling for a plan, detailing the Council's proposals to improve those areas where it was found to be weak in the CPA, to be presented to the next Council meeting. As usual, Labour had not done their homework. Their proposal was an impossibility and it fell flat. Under the Rules of the Audit Commission a special committee with them as important participants and a seat for Cllr Horrocks himself (!) has to be set up. Only when that committee has completed its deliberations can its important decisions be submitted to the full council!! That Labour were totally unaware of this, I find mind boggling.

The second big mistake was to personalise the issue by proposing a vote of 'no confidence' in Council Leader Alan Vincent, a motion they knew they could never win. It was a cheap, unworthy political stunt.

Proposer Cllr Horrocks and seconder Cllr Irish both spoke at length. Deputy Leader Cllr Jim Lawrenson then called for a vote. Clearly exercising a carefully rehearsed exhibition there were howls of protest from the Labour benches and all but one got up and walked out. The vote was then taken and the motion defeated with only the one vote against.

There should have been an intelligent debate that night. But their tactics Labour badly let down not only themselves but, most important of all, the residents of Wyre Borough.

Finally, on what was a bad night for Labour they really plumbed the depths when they attacked the integrity of the Deputy Mayor who was in the Chair. There is no more popular member of Wyre Borough Council than Ramesh Gandhi FRCS, recently retired heart surgeon at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He is highly respected and held in high regard throughout the whole community. He is well known as being a tireless worker for charity. He is a true gentleman.

For their behaviour towards Cllr Gandhi both at the meeting and in the press since, Labour owe him an apology. It cannot come soon enough.

Mark Hamer, Chairman, Blackpool North & Fleetwood Conservative Association