Economical with the truth

His first paragraph, while recognising that two councillors were not in 'wilful misconduct' does not say that both were Labour councillors. Stanley Henig and Ian Barker were both cleared of all charges of misconduct

Jon Barry then makes the case which is damning of council action, and indeed two past officers have been found guilty of 'misconduct'. But then he goes on to make the vague suggestion that 'members of the council at the time' and the Labour group who were the administration, need to take responsibility. He doesn't say that Labour had only 24 members of a 60-member council and that decisions were taken collectively in committee.

Nor does he follow through the logic of the auditor's report that it was collective failure of all the groups in council. Indeed the report makes the point that there was no dissent to the actions taken except from Ian Barker and Shirley Burns, a Morecambe Bay Independent who raised doubts only about the location.

The Labour administration does bear a unique responsibility, but this was above all a failure of the whole council.

The Greens were not a group in council at that time, when all groups were looking for means to support Morecambe. Can Jon Barry be so certain that without the advantage of hindsight, the Greens would have argued strongly against the concept?

With regard to a letter from Chris Hart published on February 13, he has no basis to say that 'local councillors appears intent on entering into war' nor to imply a motivation.

I suspect that councillors, like many in the Labour party, are divided on the issue. No one wants war. Respect your opponents' integrity, even if you disagree profoundly with their arguments.

Cllr J Ravetz

John O'Gaunt Ward