THE statement issued by Rumworth Labour Cllr Ismail Ibrahim to The Bolton News, was supposed to be an explanation as to why he did not pay his council tax on time. It was far from that and we still do not know the real reason.

It is a disgrace that Cllr Morris and the other Labour councillors have hidden his name for three years at huge expense to the taxpayer. Why are they not all demanding his resignation?

The monies could have been spent protecting the vulnerable that Cllr Morris is always telling us about.

Cllr Morris and his Labour colleagues also refused to tell us whether Paul Najsarek, the former chief executive was given a pay-off when he resigned prematurely. Despite the result of the Freedom of Information request, we still do not know and he says that the information will be available in the accounts.

Cllr Bob Allen, supported by Cllrs Andy Morgan and John Walsh, called for the leader's resignation at the full council meeting last week on the grounds of his serious error of judgement and cost to the taxpayer regarding both these matters. Cllr Morris's response was that he had not told any lies and would not be resigning. That may be the case but what he has done is not worthy of a leader of the Council.

Labour voters will now have the chance at the coming election to change the face of Bolton. If they are happy with this state of affairs and the continuing decline of the town, they will continue to vote Labour. If not, they should vote for another party. No other party could possibly do as much damage to the town and its reputation as this one has done.

Name and address supplied

Bolton