IN response to Alan Johnson’s letter in The Bolton News (Letters, February 12) I would like to respond to the comments he has made concerning my attendance at the public meeting which took place at Hardy Hall last Thursday.

Firstly, this was a meeting arranged by the UKIP Branch and not UKIP councillors and it was arranged as a public meeting so that any member of the public, including Mr Johnson, could have attended and asked questions of the leader.

The meeting was also attended by The Bolton News which, I felt, gave a fare report of the night and even had an interview with Gerard Batten.

It is public knowledge that I believe that our current leader's association with Tommy Robinson in any way, shape or form is not right.

Had Mr Johnson attended the meeting, he would have heard two interesting speeches, firstly by Paul Richardson, who is no longer a member of the party and expressed his disagreement with the association of Robinson and some of the views of the current leader, and then a speech by myself.

In my speech, one of the first comments I made was that I am not a racist, never have been and never will be.

In all the years as an elected member, I have built up a good relationship with the ethnic minorities.

There isn’t anyone, council officers, elected members, the public or faith leaders ever accused me of being so. However, it is an accusation quite often thrown out by certain sectors when they lose an argument.

Two years ago, I was the first political leader to condemn the English Defence League when it clashed in Bolton town centre with the Police and other demonstrators.

While not agreeing with Mr Batten on the Tommy Robinson issue, I do agree with most of the UKIP policies of which I am more than happy to meet with Mr Johnson to discuss.

As this was a public meeting in my ward where members of our community attended, I had a duty to attend, to listen to the views of my community, along with Cllr Gibbon, a UKIP Councillor for Little Lever and Darcy Lever, and Cllr Cunnigham, a UKIP Councillor for Kearsley.

I am first and foremost a councillor for the people ­— the politics don’t come into it when dealing with my ward.

Had I not attended the meeting, I would have also been criticised.

I am sure that if Mr Johnson looks hard enough on social media, he will be able to find the speech I gave and my disagreement with our leader on the issues he raises.

I also wrote to our NEC some time ago expressing on behalf of all three UKIP councillors our concern of the Robinson association something the NEC agreed with of which I am more than happy for him to see this.

I also wrote to Mr Batten expressing my disagreement of which I spoke at length last Thursday night after the meeting with the UKIP chief.

May I recommend that Mr Johnson spends his time trying to get Green Party candidates elected on to the council and allow me to get on with my job, which is representing the people in my ward.

Cllr Sean Hornby

UKIP Leader

Bolton Council