I READ in the BEN 25/10/01 That both Labour and Conservative councillors are reluctant to allow the public into council meetings on the grounds that few people would take up the offer.
Councillor Harkin goes so far as to say "Having the public attend is tokenism and even if 100 attended it would be a very small part of the population of Bolton".
Does he not realise that councillors are elected by a VERY small number of the eligible voters, on average less than 15 per cent per ward.
Postal voting appears to improve the turn out, will this be extended to all the wards in future?
In the meantime, no closed meetings, let the people IN.
After all, if councillors do not wish to be heard by the people who elect them, they shouldn't stand.
Mr P A Williams-Northwood,
Bolton,
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