I HAVE been surprised to read some of the negative comments in The Press about the selection of Rachael Maskell as Labour’s candidate for York Central.

Nick Love, the Liberal Democract’s candidate, even manages to make the extraordinary claim that Rachael is part of the “political establishment” (Letters, February 18), when if anything she was the candidate who was most clearly calling for Labour to adopt bolder and more radical policies at the next election.

Rachael was selected because she spent weeks meeting with hundreds of individual Labour Party members and convinced a majority of them that she will be a principled and effective candidate. I have no doubt that voters will think the same when they get a chance to meet her.

Meanwhile, rather than carping on about Labour’s selection process, can I suggest that Mr Love might be better occupied with trying to do something about the lamentable record that the Lib Dems have in selecting women to stand in winnable seats.

The Lib Dems have so few women MPs that they could all fit into a single taxi. When are they going to start taking action to ensure that their parliamentary party has a more representative gender balance?

Danny Golding, Albemarle Road, York.