[Acrylic-bob]

I have to confess to being in a bit of a dilemma here. I can appreciate what MargaretR is saying and under most circumstances I would heartily agree with her. But on the other hand, I feel that this is an exceptional circumstance and one which goes directly to the heart of our system of governance and representation.

For a private person, say me or you Margaret, I see nothing wrong in withdrawing my participation from anything for whatever reason and declining to comment on the reasons for so doing. It is, rightly so, no one else's business but my own.

However, when one enters public life, particularly as a politician, whether local or national, certain obligations to openess about ones actions and activities become incumbent irrespective of the personal cost.

Thus the refusal of members of this board to offer an explanation of their actions concerning the Kashmiri Motion and their refusal to respond to all invitations to participate in discussion of this issue displays their contempt for the people they purport to represent. Moreover, as it appears that all of the councillors who are members of this forum have refused to participate, one suspects that there is some degree of collusion in this. It may even be the case that such action was deliberately sanctioned by the Labour group as a whole.

If such be the case then democracy, as we know and love it, flies out of the window and we are left with the sere dictat of the party. Our vote becomes meaningless.

This is what is happening increasingly within the EU and also within our own Parliament. It must be noted also that our MP similarly refuses to explain or debate his actions taken in our name.

This is an issue that should be of urgent concern to the entirity of the electorate.