I FOUND it hard to understand why Councillor F. Chaudhry was, unusually, writing to the Bury Times (March 22), and then I saw his early election leaflet had been distributed announcing his Labour candidacy in this year's local election.

Next, I found it hard to understand why he was writing to congratulate Coun Dorothy Gunther, a Conservative, on her recent visit to see the Shadow Home Secretary, Oliver Letwin MP, to discuss the increasing concerns about violent crime in Bury. And then I remembered that she is his own local councillor in Ramsbottom Ward, where he lives.

I feel that one should appreciate this gesture, for not many Labour Party activists would take the trouble to offer congratulations to a Conservative opponent in the press. I guess that if you live in Ramsbottom you do appreciate Dorothy's tireless efforts on behalf of local residents.

Finally, I was surprised that he spoiled his letter by calling on Tories to apologise for failings in the NHS, schools, police and railways. It is a rather tired line of argument to go back five years attacking the Tories when we are into the second period of a New Labour Government.

It is sad that Coun Chaudhry's way of fighting the local election in Redvales is to attack the Conservatives' national government of pre-1977. I would have thought that Redvales had enough local issues concerning environmental eyesores, litter, youth crime, highways, education and the rest, which a genuine local councillor could address.

His letter is a symptom of Labour's disdain for Redvales' voters and it is easy to see why Labour's vote there has halved in six years.

COUNCILLOR ROY-E. WALKER