THOSE Labour candidates in Burnley who no longer support the leadership of Kath Reade have been told that they cannot sit as Independent Labour, but must resign from the party and sit as true Independents "to avoid confusing the voters."

Labour voters are already confused - because of the recent housing allocation scandal; following the council's indecency scandal; following the secretive bus deal with Stagecoach scandal; the alleged improper use of town hall facilities to benefit the Labour Party scandal.

The party is now split into at least three factions:

Those who support Kath Reade come what may.

Those who support her - until after the May elections.

Those who still hold true to Labour principles, but refuse to take part in an exercise simply to promote the personal agenda of an ambitious leader and, to their credit, have had the guts to say so.

Shouldn't Kath Reade now submit herself for the whole local party to confirm or reject her as leader?

Then, perhaps, the threatened turmoil might be avoided. The situation is becoming a farce.

H HORNE, Brunshaw Road, Burnley.

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