AGAIN councillors Mike Connolly, executive member for health and social services, and John Byrne, leader of the council, have featured on this Letters page displaying their usual confrontational style and attacking people whose only "crime" is to defend those affected by the policies of this seemingly uncaring Executive.

Arrogance and aggression were the hallmarks of their letters.

Have Labour Executive members not yet cottoned on to the fact that there is disillusionment and scepticism about them and their policies? Basically, the people of Bury do not trust the Labour leadership, which is probably why so many different groups are fighting them -- in some cases, all the way to the High Court. We listen to Labour leaders and read what they write but the Audit Commission only confirmed the reality -- that we have a "weak" council.

If the good people of Bury really believed that the Labour leadership were honestly working in their best interests, dealing with difficult issues openly and sympathetically with genuine concern for the welfare of those affected by their plans, then there would be the sort of trust so evidently lacking at present. And there would be no need for our ruling councillors to spend so much valuable time writing rude and vitriolic letters to the press!

To paraphrase them, "Messrs. Byrne, Connolly and Co" need to take a long, hard look at themselves and remember -- especially now that local elections are looming -- that a modicum of respect, empathy, honesty and transparency go a long way. After all, the people of Bury are precisely that -- real people with real concerns, not just a cross on the ballot paper.

JOANNE WILCOCK