IN the leaflet, 'Coal Clough Labour News,' which I received recently, was an article headed 'Liberal Scandal Rocks Area,' which goes on at length to condemn Coun Paul Massey for leaving Burnley last February to take up a permanent job working for Boeing in Seattle, USA.

The Labour candidate states that he put his 'American dream' before the interests of local residents.

This is an appalling attack on a ward councillor who worked hard for the people of this area.

For the past four years, Paul Massey was always available to discuss and try to resolve any problems residents brought to him. Paul's departure to the USA was brought about by personal reasons, the main one being that he would be in permanent employment for a definite time. Regarding Julie Humphrey's statement that he should have resigned and caused a by-election, she should know, being the partner of Coun Marcus Johnstone, that if he had done so in February, an election could not have been called until April - only four weeks before the local elections on May 2 with the successful candidate only holding office for four weeks.

The cost of this folly to Burnley Council tax payers would have been in excess of £2,500.

Julie Humphrey's concern about the tax payers of our town seems to concur with the local Labour Party's policies of "spend the money now and to hell with the town's future."

GORDON BIRTWISTLE (leader, Liberal Democrats, Burnley Council), Glen View Road, Burnley

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