AT a time when Darlington Borough Council’s credibility is at an all-time low they have blown it again – twice in one day.

First, Crown Street Library. According to your report (Echo, July 17), the blinkered Councillor Nick Wallis states that the authority has been “vindicated”. No it has not!

Just imagine the good feeling which would be promoted around town if the councillors did a u-turn, and responded to the wishes of the people of Darlington (whom they reckon they represent) by declaring that they would actually do what the people wished and leave the library well alone. They would certainly regain some lost credibility if they did.

Secondly, the council leadership election. So 29 Labour councillors are to elect our town’s council leader without the townspeople being informed of the two candidates’ views on the future.

That is wrong. Their views should be made public to enable the electors to make relevant representations through those who serve their wards.

The blame for all this could, however, well lie with the electors themselves. They can vote with their feet at the next local election, but will they? No!

The “same old” will go and vote for the “same old” and nothing will change, which only serves to reinforce my long held view that party politics and party lines have no place in local government which should be just that – local people independently and with integrity serving local people and dealing with local issues for the good of the town in which we live and which they are elected to serve.

Mary Everitt, Darlington