Cllr Borthwick asks who actually runs Bournemouth council (Have Your Say, October 24) – a question frequently asked in your columns.

Many correspondents seem to want to believe that there is some sort of conspiracy whereby highly paid officials at the Town Hall pull the proverbial wool over the eyes of elected councillors and run the town as they so wish; perhaps they do, but if they do then it is because elected councillors let them act in that way and allow the perception to exist that democracy is something of a sham.

Two points need to be made. Firstly many statutory duties are imposed on councils and to that extent local democracy is highly constrained.

But that is only part of the answer; and in my view the real reason why local government in Bournemouth, and elsewhere, attracts so much criticism is that a system of highly controlled party whipping prevents the public knowing what their elected councillors actually think about the issues where the council still has considerable discretion.

Running a local community is not the same as running a government; councillors are elected by local communities and they bring, or should bring, a wealth of knowledge and experience to the issues.

But all too often whatever debate there is seems to take place behind the closed doors of the party mach-ines and if any councillor breaks ranks he or she risks deselection.

It is reasonable for candidates who stand on a particular party ticket to be expected to adhere to the party line, but that is only half the story; there will always be issues arising where there was no agreed party line (and the present furore surrounding the present leader of Bournemouth council is just one) and where open and informed debate should take place, and where all councillors should take decisions based on listening to each other and to their constituents.

Gordon Cann, Caigmoor Avenue, Bournemouth