I HAVE long held the view that, despite being a former Labour voter myself, the ruling Labour group on Blackpool Borough Council are an insular, self-interested, self-serving lot, happy to hide behind unelected, undemocratic phoney council groups and "behind closed doors done deals".

Imagine how unsurprised I was when the revelation about Coun Ivan Taylor's failure to fulfil even the most basic ethical and regulatory requirements -- the register of members' interests -- emerged.

How can the public of Blackpool now take this ruling Labour group seriously when it has been presided over by a man whom Coun Bancroft described on Radio Lancashire as an "astute politician"?

Obviously Coun Taylor isn't either as astute as Coun Bancroft makes out or he is more astute than any of us thought...until he was caught out by this "slip-up".

I feel now that the ruling Labour Group on Blackpool Borough Council should be put under audited scrutiny by the Local Government Ombudsman and the District Auditor.

The register of members interests should also be placed in a prominent position in the Town Hall for ALL of the public in Blackpool to view. Further to this, may I suggest a sensible solution. Instead of the ruling Labour group publishing their self-serving, self-promoting newsletter purporting to inform us of the exciting developments in Blackpool, they should instead provide us with a ward by ward analysis containing details of the councillor's own interests (particularly those within their own ward), how much revenue is collected from that ward, how much is spent by the council in that ward and the extent of rent and council dax default in that ward.

Only by opening themselves up to scrutiny in this way will Blackpool Council ever be truly democratic and meet Tony Blair's vision of "open (local) government".

At the moment it appears that all citizens of Blackpool seem to be equal. It's a shame that some seem to be more equal than others in what may be fast becoming "a rotten borough". As a Labour voter up until the last election I am so disappointed with nearly every one of them on the council. These recent revelations have only served to deepen my disappointment.

David MacGregor, St Annes Road, South Shore.