I DON'T know if seasonal excitement has an adverse effect on sensible people, but Liberal Democrat Coun Paul Browne's outburst (LET, July 17) is not what I would have really expected from him.

While the issue of MPs' pay has aroused a lot of ardour and, as he says in the article 'Councillor raps MPs' hypocrisy.' a lot of it justifiable, nevertheless, a number of Liberal Democrats also voted for the increase as well; among them, Mingus Campbell.

If we are going to publicly crucify our representatives for greed and insensitivity let's rebuke them all and not have the typical politician's trick of denouncing the opposition while conveniently forgetting that the decision on pay has to have the assent of the majority, including Liberal Democrats.

Incidentally, if Coun Browne wants to remind people at election time of the pay agreement, I hope he won't be too surprised if others remind him that his party fell in line with it as well.

DUNCAN McVEE, Robin Bank Road, Darwen.

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