• I WAS sad to see the Tory agent, David Douglas attack Siân Berry for resigning from Camden Council to stand as an MP for the Green Party in Brighton, (The councillor stepping down means an expensive by-election, October 26).

She has every right to make the decision. Democracy is vital to our society and snide remarks about the £30,000 that it will cost Camden to hold the by-election are really not helpful.

What is perhaps more remarkable is that the Green Party has such a limited pool of talented candidates that it selected Siân Berry, when she already had a huge job on the London Assembly as well as that of councillor.

It is, of course, her decision to turn her back on Camden; but I would not criticise her for that. It remains to be seen whether she can succeed in Brighton, given the less than satisfactory record of the Green Party in running the council.

The by-election does provide an opportunity to see fresh faces serving the people of Camden. Labour has just selected Tricia Leman as its candidate. I have known Tricia for several years. She is an enormously capable, hard-working person who has lived in Highgate for 35 years.

As a former teacher she is well aware of what our young people need to succeed. She has campaigned to secure the resources that are so badly required to fight school exclusions, and to provide opportunities for them to build their self-esteem with the help of Camden’s hard-pressed youth workers. If only these services had not been so decimated by Tory cuts!

I shall be out supporting Tricia and encourage my friends and neighbours to do the same.

FELICIA OLNEY
Oakford Road, NW5