WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW

It’s amazing that given so many people were baying for the blood of Portland Town Council at that now historic January precept meeting and that now the ‘usual suspects’ are expressing their ‘anger’ at Tim Munro's election to mayor for 2014/15, no-one has thrown their hat in the ring as a candidate for possible election for the Tophill West vacancy.

So despite the angry and very personal attacks on councillors at that meeting, none of our critics are prepared to put their money where their mouths have been and stand.

Once again apathy appears to rule on the island.

I’ve had my arguments with Tim Munro over the years but he will make a very competent chair of council and a suitable representative of the island as mayor.

Just imagine the uproar if I had not narrowly lost the vote 5-6 for deputy mayor and a double-billing of ‘Mungo and Dented’– a beautifully satirical poster in a well-known island hostelry – had got in?

The point is twofold: First, ‘popularity’ should have nothing to do with the election of mayors.

Where they combine both the chairing of a council and civic representation of the local community – competence, experience and leadership are the only relevant criteria.

Second, the 1,000 per cent rise was effectively a 1,000 per cent of nothing – Portland has amongst the lowest town council precepts in Britain.

Tim Munro and Rob Hughes will do Portland a power of good in 2014/15.

Just maybe it’s time for the precept whingers to prove their commitment to turning a dedicated and hard-working council out of office by standing themselves.

Richard Denton-White, Fortuneswell, Portland