I AM not a Conservative, but was happy to hear Councillor Edna Arnold did not resign from the Racial Equality Council, for the simple reason she has done nothing wrong or improper. Neither has any of the other panel members involved in selection.

Councillors resigned because of group pressure generated and driven by extensive newspaper coverage, laced with emotive and highly charged language as "scandal," "malpractice" and loud repetitive calls for resignation.

There is a saying, there is no smoke without fire, but anyone can start a fire, and that has happened in this case.

The recent letter from Councillor Don Rishton "Balanced Analysis" did much to clear away the smoke screen surrounding this issue.

Now the findings of the inquiry have been published, fully exonerating those accused. I wonder those here mentioned and the minnow Meadows of this world will have the decency to apologise to Councillor Khan and the others for the distress caused? I doubt it.

J CANNON, Preston Old Road, Feniscowles, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.