Sir,

Contrary to the Mayor's opinion that Councillor McCarthy's antics "do not bother him," it is obvious that they have had that effect! Mr Chappel's desire for a Town Council team to "all pull together" will never be achieved whilst there are three or four warring, political, tribes - all jockeying for the best advantage.

There is no room in local administrations for amateur tribal warfare and if the Mayor wishes to head a team "working together," then he should be striving towards an administration based solely upon meritocracy. The way forward, to this end, is for local authorities to be stripped of their amateur modus operandi and to be reconstituted as salaried public liability companies, each with a Chairman and a Board and directly answerable to the public - and with no secret meetings!

Partisan politics are the antithesis of 'unity' and there is no better, contemporary example than "BREXIT" which has its roots in, even, intra-party squabbling!

The advantages of a business-based form of administration is that its membership is open to all of electoral-age, secure in the knowledge that they have a "proper job" for a fixed term of 5-years (why not?) and do not have to rely upon "handouts" in the way of 'allowances' and 'expenses'.

Time for some "blue-sky" thinking, Mr Mayor!

Roland Adamson