YOU couldn’t even get into the council meeting where Dave Merrett and James Alexander faced calls to resign without a ticket, yet the public benches were half-empty while people were being turned away.

In the past when large crowds were expected, the council shifted meetings to the main hall, but attending this meeting was not easy for anyone.

It was easy to see why. The first two hours were taken up by anti-fracking campaigners who did not need to be heard on this date, but it successfully squashed the time available for more important proceedings and, in particular, the motion of censure.

When the showdown came, the comments and voting was as predictable as it was depressing. Not one of the Labour members had the backbone to voice the slightest criticism or to vote with the motion or at the very least abstain. Not even those who had been ditched by the party after decades of loyal service.

And the council leader and cabinet member concerned refused to accept any responsibility for the Lendal Bridge fiasco and made no apologies. The whole thing was a farce. Local Government in this city has sunk to an all time low.

John Jones, Sand Hutton Manor, Sand Hutton, York.