SO the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Councillor Peter Greenwood, may be disciplined by the Blackburn Labour Party for stating what is common knowledge - that the ruling Labour group on the council is controlled by a small elite while the rest of them have to vote as they are told to.

Well, in my opinion, the Labour Party in Blackburn need to realise that we live in a democracy not the Third Reich. To speak one's mind is not a crime.

I am not a Labour voter, but I hope that when Coun Greenwood comes up for re-election that he is returned to office with a large majority.

We need councillors who will speak out, not voting clones who will back their party even if they think that what they are doing is bad for the town.

J LEE, Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn.

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