Once again the long-suffering residents of the Lee Green ward are denied a working councillor.

Simeon Baker, who promised us untold changes if elected, has in fact delivered nothing. He last attended a full council meeting on March 2, 2005 and has not attended a single meeting since that date.

He is also on six committees and has not attended any of those meetings either. It has been reported that Simeon Baker will not be seeking re-election in the May 2006 council elections, so my question to Councillor Baker is this: If you are not standing for re-election and are not attending any council meetings, why don't you do the honourable and decent thing and resign now? You could then let another councillor be elected who actually cares about the people of Lee Green ward and who will represent them. Could it be the £10,000 pa that is just too tempting to give up?

We have already had one fiasco with Councillor Semple who moved to Scotland and refused to resign until he was forced to by local and national newspaper stories.

We now have a similar situation with Simeon Baker, who is quite happy to take council taxpayers' money whilst doing nothing in return. According to Mayor Steve Bullock, he is not responsible for the actions of nearly 60 councillors. Well, if he is not responsible I would like to know who is?

Councillor Madeline Long is also not seeking re-election in the Lee Green ward in 2006 but is instead standing for election in the New Cross ward. Does Councillor Long know something we here in the Lee Green ward don't know, or does she think her seat is no longer a safe seat to stand for in 2006?

It seems like the Labour Party are deserting the people of Lee Green in droves. What is it that Labour councillors have against the people of the Lee Green ward?

Gerard Ambrose, Manor Lane Terrace, Lewisham