I AM writing in response to Ken Footman's letter on the process in which the Leader of the Opposition on Bromsgrove District Council was elected.

His observations are accurate. One has to look however, at what prompted the Tories to suddenly decide they were going to change the natural Opposition Leader who had been leading the largest minority group (Labour) on the council to the person who had been leading, and still leads, the smallest minority group (WRRA). I cannot of course speak for the actions of the Labour party, but my fellow Independents and myself walked out of the meeting in disgust at the way the Tories manipulated the debate.

I raised my hand to speak on the issue, on at least six occasions, and the council chairman made a point of ignoring me. Was he perhaps under instructions from the leadership not to allow me to speak? Your readers can draw their own conclusions. I also have it on good authority that had the Labour group and the Independents decided to stay - the Tories would have voted en mass (as they usually do) to replace the Labour Group leader with their own nominee to do their bidding.

Cllr Denaro, the 'opposition leader' preferred by the Tories has not been known to vote against Tory proposals once. If the Tories were hoping to silence Cllr McDonald by their singularity they failed in their attempts to do so. Can anyone envisage a situation whereby Tony Blair decides who would be the Leader of the Opposition?

Nick Psirides

Rednal Hill Lane

Rubery