I am writing to inform your readers of the error contained in the recent election flyer produced on behalf of Cllr Sara Bedford, Liberal Democrat candidate for the Abbots Langley ward, which has recently hit their doorsteps.

Cllr Bedford’s’ math is a bit off as she claims the number of councillors on the council are 19 Liberal Democrat, 16 Conservative and three Labour councillors for a total of 38 currently serving on the Three Rivers District Council. In fact, there is and always has been a total of 39 seated Councillors and she has omitted the one Independent seat on the Council which I fill.

Cllr Bedford might be hoping that by omitting my seat and purposely not recognising my membership on the council I will go away or be forgotten. I can assure her I will not.

Maybe what worries Cllr Bedford the most is that if the full council were to meet on any matter before the 21st of May 2018, and the Labour party sided with the Conservatives (however unlikely that might be), that the deciding vote would be cast by the only independently voting member of the council.

I also find it noteworthy that Cllr Bedford actually has to make a re-election “promise” to deal quickly and effectively with emails, phone calls and letters, which for me is a basic common courtesy and part of the job of representing the residents of one’s ward as an elected official.

Election day promises are easy to make, but it is the historic record of service to and communication with constituents that voters should be giving some independent thought to when considering who will be representing them in the future.

Cllr Martin Brooks, Vice Chairman

Three Rivers District Council

Independent Councillor for Leavesden Ward