I READ with interest Councillor Royston Smith’s explanation of why he cancelled a meeting with Ford unions (In My View December 2). It appears that Councillor Smith, pictured, was upset by the presence outside the building of a small demonstration in support of the union and Ford workers. This seems a rather silly reason to cancel an important meeting. If, as Mr Smith asserts, the demonstration was only a handful of far left protesters then this is even less reason to scrap a meeting which was concerned with the livelihoods of over a thousand Ford workers and their families who, in my experience, tend not to be extremists of any sort. When people feel strongly on an issue they often organise lobbies, petitions and demonstrations. People who have been elected should be big enough not to be worried about such demonstrations and able to get on with what needs to be done. The attitude of Councillor Smith and council leader Alec Samuels is in sharp contrast to local MPs (both Labour and Liberal Democrat) who are working together cross-party on this issue and who would welcome support from Conservative MPs if they wanted to take an interest.

John Denham MP, Southampton Itchen.