I REFER to the article in The Press of November 21 under the headline “Ex-Labour chief slams hopefuls”.

Since Cllr Scott became an ex-leader of the Labour group in 2010 he has borne an enormous chip on his shoulder and has done all that he can to undermine Cllr James Alexander’s leadership.

His comments in the article, coupled with his tirade at the recent extraordinary full council meeting, have shown Cllr Scott in his true colours. If anyone has “lost their way”, as Cllr Scott alleges Cllr Simpson-Laing has, it is Cllr Scott.

Cllr Alexander, until recently the Labour group leader and leader of the council, was given unanimous support in that role at a recent Labour group meeting.

If Cllr Scott thinks he has any chance of rejoining the Labour Party as he seems to indicate, then he is living in cloud cuckoo land. The Labour group, and I would suspect the constituency party, is appalled at his recent behaviour.

Reference is made in the article to members of the group being “told not to talk to The Press”.

The truth is that the Labour group agreed among themselves that any comments in respect of the election of a new leader should be made to the media by group chair Cllr Ruth Potter.

Cllr David Horton, Acomb ward councillor and Labour group chief whip.