to Richard Worrall

Dear Richard

Lovely to hear from you.  And you were so decent in meeting me to view the threatened Dudley No 1 Canal embankment.

I spent hours on Sunday and Monday sending exactly the same but, personalised email to every one of the 72 councillors forming Dudley MBC and the same email, personally, to every single member of TDC.

My view is that, in theory, the electorate reads the election manifestos to help them decide how to vote.  The winning councillors then tell the officers to implement their winning party's manifesto.  Unfortunately, from my point of view, every single party, including the Green Party, has been desperate for trams everywhere, regardless of the expense and the scale of the destruction wreaked or, the irresponsible spending of massive amounts of taxpayers' money or, the vast weight of GHG emissions to worsen climate catastrophe/breakdown/emergency.

In my opinion, you councillors are meant to scrutinise, question and challenge what the officers get up to.  Obviously, you also have to work with them as you question, challenge and understand what they want or are doing.  Therefore, Richard I want all of you to be a check on their decisions and actions.  To hold them to account and to say, at times, "No way, my friend."  And they must obey you VIPs who are all members of the WMCA and who are ultimately responsible.

Is that fair enough, my lovely friend Richard who is such a good socialist and is a much better man than me in not having a car?  Remember, you are the POWER, not them!!

Very best wishes to you