SIR – As an example of half-baked cynical opportunism in an election year, the remarks made by Stanley Markwell in the Worcester News in his attack on my good friend and colleague Sue Askin takes some beating.

His pious statement that “Claines Conservatives have consistently voiced strong objections against housing or industrial use for Bevere and surrounding areas” seems to sit uncomfortably with the voting record of the ruling Conservative group at County Hall who have supported the joint core strategy every step of the way.

What Stanley Markwell has failed to grasp, either through ignorance or intent, is that like it or not this whole matter is a top down imposition by central government and the only way that the county and district councils can have any input into where these new houses go is to support it in principle and fight their own corner at the appropriate time. That is why all three groups at County Hall, albeit reluctantly, have supported the proposal up to now. To do otherwise would run the risk of central government putting these houses where they think fit with no local input whatsoever.

Clive Smith,
Liberal Democrat, County Councillor, Malvern Link Division.