Don’t imply we’re all a bunch of criminals

I DON’T want to get involved in the argument about whether or not it is appropriate for Cllr John Gilbey (Con) to appoint a drink driver onto the joint transportation board (‘They’d Better Look Out’ Warns Leader In Drink-Driver Row, Kentish Gazette, February 7).

Neither I nor any of my Lib Dem colleagues have ever commented or tried to make political capital from the misdemeanours of others.

However, I would like to comment on two things.

It is wrong for Cllr Gilbey to accuse the Lib Dems of ‘party political raking over old ground’ and then specifically to name a Lib Dem councillor who, many years ago, drank and drove.

Do not accuse others of muckraking and then do it yourself.

Second, replying to one of Cllr Neil Baker’s (Con) constituents who wants him to resign, Cllr Gilbey says that he took that approach ‘we would probably lose a third of all councillors’. Who is he talking about?

On his statistics I assume he has another 10 Conservative councillors on a little list who have been found guilty? Maybe I’m on his list? If not then perhaps he owes a lot of us, Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem, an apology for implying we are a bunch of criminals.

The leader of a council should not make such blanket accusations without any evidence and thus bring the council into disrepute.

Councillors, of all parties, try to do their best for their residents.

Most of us do it for very little financial return and for the best of motives.

But we don’t need to be branded as criminals by the leader of the council. Cllr Nick Eden-Green (Lib Dem) Wincheap ward, Dane John, Canterbury