FROM my experience, Brian Ogston's appreciation of Cllr Henig's leadership of the Lancaster Labour Party (Citizen: June 24) is more accurate than Sue Clark's in the same issue.

Perhaps as chairperson, Sue Clark could tell us, for each of the last four years, the percentage of the meetings of the Labour Local Government Committee Cllr Henig attended for most of the meeting. I too was an elected observer to the Labour Group. Issues were only brought before the group when they had been sealed in city committees and were on the way to city council for a rubber stamp. The main business was the likes of Cllrs Mrs Blamire and Yates censuring any member who interpreted the manifesto differently from themselves and Cllr Henig. For example, in 1995-6 Geraldine Smith was castigated in the group for her defence of open space at Altham's Meadow. It is worrying that Cllr Mr Clark, who was in the chair at these parodies on democracy, holds such senior posts at the county council. Elected Labour members were only allowed, possibly, to make comments in the Henig-named closed "star chambers" to which they assembled before city committee meetings - to be briefed by on their role, if any, in the meeting. Unless the likes of Sue Clark can face up to the reality of what went on in the last eight years, it will be a long time before Brian Ogston realises his hope of a fully democratic Labour party managing Lancaster.

It is sad that the message of the local elections has not really got through to many councillors.

M R Jackson

Hest Bank

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