The Chief Executive of City of York Council recently complained of criticism on your letters page about council officers (Letters, May 29).

He would be better employed exercising rather more discipline over his subordinates. When I was elected to the council in 1983 it was drummed into me that there was a concordat at the heart of the unwritten British constitution between elected politicians and civil servants.

Elected members of whatever party could seek expert, confidential, objective advice from council officers so that whatever fashionable bandwagon they as party politicians decided to hijack, they could do so with full technical knowledge.

When meeting in committee they could also rely on impartial advice. In return, elected members never publicly criticised officers, and council officials left matters of political controversy to elected politicians.

How sad it is to see that the Liberal Democrats have not had the courage to take all the political flak that comes from the inevitable controversies of local government.

Instead, they permit officers to use the columns of your paper to argue one case or another. Barely a week goes by without a letter from a council officer putting the arguments for or against particular issues.

While as individuals, council officers have every right to express their views, it is quite wrong for them to do so in their official capacity, and to sign such letters over their job titles.

Under previous Conservative and Labour administrations in York any attempt by officers to behave as they are now doing would have led to a firm dressing down.

One occasion, I recall, led to a very angry debate in council on the proper way that officers should behave, initiated by Stephen Galloway!

Peter Brown,

Councillor 1983 to 1995,

Former leader of the Conservative Group,

Grange Lane,

York.

Updated: 09:59 Friday, June 04, 2004