THE six councillors who defected en masse from Labour areguilty of a premeditated and cynical manipulation of our democratic process.

They have put personal self-interest and reprehensible racial allegiance before the good of the town they have seemingly been elected to represent and should therefore relinquish their seats immediately, to restand for election at a later date with an open and transparent agenda, thus allowing the electorate to make an informed choice.

K EYLES, Rawstorne Street, Blackburn.