Councillor Robin Parker has worked himself into a frenzy (letters 23 February) and this, coupled with muddled thinking, makes for bizarre reading. He takes me to task for a letter that was printed last October! Not too quick off the mark then! Why has h

Councillor Robin Parker has worked himself into a frenzy (letters 23 February) and this, coupled with muddled thinking, makes for bizarre reading. He takes me to task for a letter that was printed last October! Not too quick off the mark then! Why has he waited four months? If I suffered from his persecution paranoia, I might think it was because I am in Harefield for heart surgery that emboldened him to pop his head over the parapet.

It will be obvious to your readers that I, as the Conservative Leader of the County Council, am not responsible for what the Labour Party puts in its leaflets. (In this regard it all sounds like a lovers' tiff, as the Labour and LimDems have always been happy to join together when the Conservatives do not have a majority at County Hall.

Nothing has changed the facts around the letter I wrote last year berating Labour for putting forward a candidate (David Royle) who was ready to resign the day following the elections having taken a job that debarred him from being an elected county councillor and Cllr Parker for asking for special training evenings as his job made it difficult for him to attend daytime meetings.

Mr Parker knew (or should have done) that county council meetings are held during the day - and almost all county council do the same. Some meetings with many of our partners do take place in the evenings. Something about heat and kitchens springs to mind!

What goes on in Stevenage borough politics does not concern me. I find that leading an excellent Four Star council more than enough to occupy me. With 46 Conservative members against 16 Labour and 14 LibDems, I can live with what Mr Parker calls humiliation. What would be welcome, however, would be to hear Cllr Parker speak at County Hall, something that in his nine months here I have yet to hear.

Robert Ellis, Leader - Hertfordshire County Councillor