NEW Lib Dem Leader Coun Keith Aspden appears to have a very short memory in making his baseless claims about alleged lack of scrutiny of council cabinet decisions (The Press, December 27).

Does he not recall one of his first acts as a new councillor in 2003 was to vote with his group to install a Lib Dem place-person as the chair of the then calling-in committee, despite this being contrary to the council’s rules and constitution?

And when this was pointed out to the Lib Dems, does he not remember voting again with his group to retrospectively change the constitution to allow that person to remain in post for the full four years of that council?

It was only when Labour regained a majority, in 2011, over the Lib Dems, who had been kept in office until then by the rump Tory group, that Labour insisted on reinstating the chair of the calling-in committee to be held by an Opposition councillor, as remarked upon by your fair and balanced editorial.

Coun Aspden and Coun Dave Taylor of the Green Party would better reflect that they, and their colleagues, should desist from spurious “calling-ins” which, ironically, are regularly pursued for party political reasons, and save the council’s time and resources.

Coun Sandy Fraser, Micklegate ward (Labour), Member of the corporate & scrutiny management (calling-in) committee, Millfield Road, York.