SIR,

Just for the record, and with the county council elections pending, it is perhaps worth noting that Alan Wintle and Bob Hayward were not de-selected for voting against the LDP Proposed site here in Monmouth, but were de-selected for voting also against the four other major, and equally flawed, proposed sites around the county.

This was not the Conservative Party line, which was to allow a vote one way in your own backyard, for local consumption, but vote another elsewhere.

And unfortunately, it just succeeded.

So step forward and take a bow Councillor Liz Hacket Pane, Wyesham, who dutifully pulled off that professional political trick of facing and voting both ways at once, and helped ensure that a small obedient flock of Tory councillors foisted a flawed LDP on the whole county, by the narrowest of margins.

And Alan and Bob were shown the door. So much for principles.

So who needs party politics at county level? And after all, it was the Labour Welsh Assembly that purchased this site, and are busy promoting these dismal plans for 800 houses and a massive white elephant of a green field Business Park on Wonastow Road.

So Monmouth perhaps needs more local and independent representation, and Wyesham definitely needs Anne Were, who does think and act locally, and has the larger enviromental vision we all are going to badly need.

Michael Jones

(Monmouth)