I AM highly honoured. One little letter to The Citizen asking a few simple questions and I get a response from two members of the Great and the Good on our illustrious local council. It seems that the Civic Illuminations scandal is at last starting to worry some people.

First let me disillusion Cllr Westwell. I do not have any 'political heroes.' I merely mentioned the fact that I am a critical supporter of the Labour party to demonstrate that some people can be fair minded enough to congratulate political opponents on occasion.

Cllr Westwell, however, is not a political opponent. In fact, he is not 'political' at all. He is 'independent,' despite the fact that he takes a party whip, belongs to a group on the local council and, like most of them, votes how he is told to vote. And the band played 'Believe it if you like'.

Both Cllr Westwell and Cllr Morris ramble on at great length but do not address the questions I directed to them. (this habit is also strangely 'political' for a couple of 'independents') The questions are quite simple.

a: was there an amendment to the original contract or was there not?

b: If there was then has any Officer been disciplined for losing it and costing us taxpayers thousands of pounds?

c: If there was never such a document has any Officer been disciplined for telling lies and saying that there was, again costing us thousands of pounds in unnecessary legal costs?

I am fed up with puffed up, ridiculous, ineffectual, self-important local big-wigs on our city council thinking that they can do what they like, keep secret what they like and tell us what they like. And I don't give a damn what party (or non-party) these figures of expensive fun claim to or not to belong to.

Cllr Morris asks me to 'put up or shut up.' I thought that I had made it clear that I fully intend to 'put up.'

If we, the public, do not get a proper explanation about this can of worms, I shall, at the appropriate time, ask the District Auditor to investigate the matter. Perhaps, Mr Editor, you can re-word that last sentence. Please put it into words of one syllable so that councillors will understand it and will refrain from issuing half-witted challenges that I have already accepted with alacrity.

Ray Hill

Lancaster