I READ with interest the recent piece about the candidates bidding to defend Brian Iddon's Bolton South-east seat at the next election.

In all likelihood, this will always be a Labour seat, meaning whoever gets it has the prospect of a job for life.

However, it has the highest unemployment rate in Bolton so it is vital that there is no complacency or untoward favouritism in selecting the candidate to succeed Mr Iddon, as there is a lot of work to do.

With this in mind, I would like to underline just how important it is that we get the best man or woman for the job. I would also like to offer the following words of caution about the dangers of selecting a weaker candidate on the grounds that it's a safe seat so there's room for a little complacency.

The new candidate will have to hit the ground running, and will not be able to afford an extended honeymoon period to learn the trade. An inexperienced candidate would not be able to properly represent Bolton in Westminster for some time.

Selecting anyone other than the best candidate for the job is not only selling Bolton short, but also the Government.

When Gordon Brown decides that Labour talent is so thin on the ground that he has to consider Liberal Democrats for his cabinet, then that is a sad day for the party.

I am sure that all Labour activists would agree that they want their party to deliver a genuine, open and meritocratic society. For this to be achieved, they need to operate under the same principles and make sure the best candidate is elected to represent Bolton South-east.

Terry Dunstan, Little Lever