DEAR editor,

I refer to Cllr Kevin Mahoney’s letter, ‘Misleading’, Barry and District News, March 10, which is in response to my letter relating to the lack of substance in the arguments being put forward against a council merger with Cardiff.

Kevin’s statement that I almost weekly claim that only one councillor confronts the self-interests of the political parties is taken out of context of the preceding sentence and implies I am saying something else.

He is right to say my comment referred to a council vote against merging with Cardiff when only one councillor failed to support the Motion put forward by Conservative councillors, but wrong to claim I write along these lines on a weekly basis.

He is also wrong to assert that I claim all other councillors are opposed to a reduction in councils and councillors, there is no such suggestion in my letter, my only reference to the number of politicians is as evidence to merge councils.

Indeed, my last letter on this subject, Council merger our best option, Barry and District News, December 10 (not weekly) stated that Cllr Mahoney had supported ‘the need to reduce the number of councils’. So why would I imply something different three months later?

I am aware that the Independent group hold similar views to me about reducing the number of councils and councillors and that Cllr Mahoney has made this point publicly and during the council debate.

It is disappointing that he feels my words are disingenuous and that I am peddling ‘highly misleading claims’: I do try to present evidence within my letters to support the points I make and avoid speculative statements that lack substance.

Dennis Harkus,

FocusBARRY member