THE Citizen letters page can be a great read.

Unfortunately, the inevitable down side of it being a 'free forum for debate' is that letters from people who choose to write scurrilous innuendo are accorded the same status as those from people who are in full possession of the facts and are reporting them faithfully. This means that when I say that I oversaw and chaired Labour's John O'Gaunt selection process and that it was open, democratic, fair and according to the Labour Party rules, I'm just another voice clamouring to be heard amongst the playground chanting and name-calling such as Cllr Beaman's (Citizen Letters: 5th October).

I have no idea whether Cllr Whitaker was asked or advised by the Labour Group to write to The Citizen with his retraction of the 'Angelotti' letter, or whether he did it out of conscience having been appraised of the facts. I do know, however, that his second letter portrayed a rather more accurate version of events.

I don't know how Cllr Beaman can claim to know anything about Labour's selection process as, of course, he was at neither the shortlisting nor the selection meetings. Neither was Cllr Whitaker. Neither, incidentally, was Stanley Henig whom Cllr Beaman manages to include in his wild fantasies of Machiavellian manipulation and intimidation. I do know that Labour Party members have the right to democratically select election candidates, which a number of ordinary John O'Gaunt members did - in a secret ballot having heard from and questioned all the candidates. And, that the only Labour councillor present was Joe Ravetz in his capacity as a ward member.

I don't know whether Cllr Beaman and his colleagues prefer the hereditary principle (although had Sheila Kavanagh been selected it would have spoiled their fun). I can only assume that this is the case, since when I was out canvassing I was told by a number of electors that Mrs Kavanagh and her new colleagues had been describing the democratic process as a 'dirty trick.' I take it Cllr Beaman's group wouldn't make the same claim about their own elections to the city council.

Finally I don't know how we can ever have relevant local government in the Lancaster district, which engages and involves, when public representatives such as Cllr Beaman continue to alienate people with their juvenile trash.

Emily Lomax Vice-chair

Lancaster Branch Labour Party