REGARDING your report (LET, January 8), the decision-making process at Blackburn with Darwen Council has been changed beyond recognition -- so much so that any councillors who are now not members of the 'Executive Eight' stand little, if any, chance of representing their individual ward members.

More often than not, the former process would involve all 62 councillors, each able at the very least to voice an opinion on all decisions taken, especially in the case of major projects such as the Orbital Route.

This former inclusive process is now replaced by a dictatorial executive designed by a New Labour government, hell bent on wresting power from local people.

This Executive set-up of only eight councillors is answerable to no-one -- except New Labour policy, which now appears to change every few hours, let alone days.

With great respect to the other 54 councillors, why on earth do we now need them? For any powers they previously had have now been reduced almost to ashes under the new dictatorial process. Surely, the Executive can see the savings to be made if all were given a redundancy package?

As for the Conservative and Liberal Democrats, their leaders sit largely in silence, forming no meaningful opposition on the Executive.

The New Executive format, we were told, was approved by the majority of people within the borough. But where on earth is Labour's evidence to prove this claim? For there was certainly no official vote at the polling booths, but merely one given through the various methods Labour used -- and, thus, some people chose to give an opinion.

Dictatorial processes should not be tolerated even at local level.

P NEWTON (Mr), Ashworth Close, Blackburn.