IN response to Labour Councillor Charlie Kay (HAS, June 20), no sensible person would support any councillor of any party who was clearly abusing the system.

Individual examples of poor standards are not restricted to any one political party.

What ought to be more of a concern to the public is widespread systematic abuse of taxpayers’ money similar to that seen with the MPs’ expenses.

The Labour Party wishes to implement a six to seven per cent levy on Labour councillors’ allowances. The levy is to be paid straight to the Labour Party – it will be taxpayers’ money being used to prop up a political party.

This is little different to what seemed to be a local voluntary system at Wear Valley District Council, before its recent abolition, where a column in the accounts for councillors’ allowances was for “deduction to the Labour Party”. Money was deducted at source and administered by payroll – perhaps Mayor Charlie Kay, an ex-deputy Labour leader at Wear Valley, can enlighten the public about that scheme?

A quick check at Durham County Council reveals a significant number of Labour councillors had their election expenses paid by unions – the same unions that have taxpayerfunded union officials supposedly working as council officials, and the same unions that have free accommodation within County Hall.

Across the country, we know this scheme supporting the unions costs more than £100m of taxpayers’ money. Will Charlie Kay condemn this abuse?

John Gasston, Bishop Auckland.