IN A statement, which all democrats, irrespective of party-political persuasion, can endorse, Beverley Hughes, MP, the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (DETR), once expressed a fundamental truth about local government, when she wrote:

"Local government has a key role to play in society. It is uniquely placed to lead local communities and serve local people. But effective democratic government depends on one inescapable requirement: a bond of trust between the people and those in public life who serve them. Establishing that bond of trust requires conscious effort on the part of all local authority members and staff."

Unfortunately, that bond of trust simply does not exist between the people of Cornwall and the people who purport to serve them on the county council. Nor indeed can it ever exist until the current situation is drastically transformed. Complete transparency in the conduct of council affairs and the accountability of the senior officers to the people's elected representatives will have to be established, not just in theory but also in practice, before that crucial bond can be created.

In the existing situation, I do not see how any self-respecting elected member can, with any sense of honour or dignity, offer himself or herself for re-election in the county council elections next year, unless his or her position on this fundamental issue is made crystal clear. Graeme Hicks, county councillor, Redruth