I do wish local right-wingers would sign their unpleasant letters to Your Views rather than hide behind the anonymity of “Name and address supplied”.

I refer to “Still clinging to power” (The Bolton News, May 31).

First of all, he or she attempts and fails to insult Clifford Morris and Kevin McKeon.

Then there is an attempt to insult those of us who voted for Julie Hilling in Bolton West.

The truth is, many voters had “heard of her”.

Her three pairs of worn out shoes have something to do with that and her election leaflets told us exactly what she stands for. Hence her victory, albeit by a rather scary margin.

Far from “still knowing nothing about her”, The Bolton News has given Julie Hilling admirable coverage in the short time since the election and, in the same edition of the paper as the letter to which I refer, is an article about the campaign on behalf of developing countries by The Honourable Member for Bolton West.

That sounds good, doesn’t it? Secretary of State Hilling sounds even better, but we’ll have to wait a bit for that.

As regards “clinging to power”, doesn’t Mr or Ms Anon realise that Labour gained two seats on Bolton Council from the Con-Dem coalition and noticeably increased their share of the vote in Heaton and Lostock. Now, that’s worth celebrating.

I end with a four letter word in response to the suggestion that Ruth Kelly was a “failed woman Labour MP”. Tosh.

John Hampson New Hall Lane Bolton