MRS H HAMER, (Letters, February 24), is incorrect in stating that the council is nearly 90 per cent Labour and that it is not democratic.

In fact, the current composition of Blackburn with Darwen Council is 46 Labour councillors, 12 Conservative and four Liberal Democrats.

The reason why Labour has such a large majority is that the party received well over half the votes cast in the borough elections held on May 1, 1997.

This gives it a clear democratic mandate from the electorate.

As a Conservative candidate in those elections, Mrs Hamer can't preach to the Labour Party about democracy as the Conservative Party failed even to field candidates in the wards of Audley, Ewood, Higher Croft, Queen's Park and Sudell.

Perhaps at the next elections in 1999 they may wish to give people a more "democratic" choice.

COUN DAVE SMITH (Sunnyhurst Ward), Avondale Road, Darwen.

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