AS a Labour councillor in Burnley, I am fully committed to Tony Blair's attempt to raise standards and probity in local government and I think that the housing allocation review and the standards panel we set up was a very important part of pushing that agenda forward.

It is the only way to give the public and local government employees confidence that there is some means of "whistle-blowing" on councillors who over-estimate their own powers - as in the case of the two councillors disciplined at Burnley - as they have also no idea how local government works and how to legitimately effect change to policies they do not agree with.

I feel we need to give a clear message to the public and our partners in various ventures, plus the government, that we intend to clean up our act and not defend fellow councillors at all costs.

Otherwise, there is a clear warning from the government that our ever-diminishing powers and resources will go elsewhere.

COUN TONY HARRISON, Burnley Road, Cliviger.

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