I’m happy to ‘take on the chin’ the sanction of not being involved in Portland Town Council committees for six months for swearing at a member of the public at a heated precept meeting back in January.

It enables me to move on with my life.

I’ve been subjected to a very personalised six-month campaign of anonymous phone calls, a blatant physical threat to my person, a laughable lie on Facebook that I’d nicked a bottle of spirits in an Easton shop whilst I was in Oban in Scotland and a pompous allegation of ‘disrespect’ from a fellow councillor for attending a D-Day memorial service casually dressed.

Some apologies would be nice, after making mine more often than a government U-turn, but I’m not holding my breath.

The whole unhappy saga of the 2014/15 Portland precept has certainly persuaded Portland’s town council to listen to local people’s concerns.

However, Portland’s residents also need to take on board that if they want a meaningful town council to run local services to improve their community they must be prepared to dip a little into their own pockets.

There is an important by election for two places on Portland Town Council on Thursday, August 14.

One has to hope that the three candidates are able to generate a positive debate about how they see the future relationship between the island and its council and that local electors exercise their democratic right and vote for two ‘doing’ councillors.

Richard Denton-White

Fortuneswell

Portland