At the risk of giving James Alexander the oxygen of publicity, he has really lost the plot this time on his trip to Brussels to protest at the European Commission.

The 540-home Derwenthorpe development is exactly what York residents need: a landmark development to create affordable and environmentally sustainable homes. A significant number of the proposed homes will be “homes for life”, built to ensure people do not have to lose their home if they have a debilitating injury or if they become infirm though old age.

The development is also designed to create plenty of open space and encourage cycling and public transport in preference to the car.

The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust has a fantastic national reputation, rightly deserved, for its work over many years in providing homes that meet the needs of local people.

This project, along with a number of others across the UK, is caught up in a procurement dispute at the EU Commission as a direct result of the Labour Government’s failure to comply with EU legislation that the UK previously agreed to.

So here we have a Labour Parliamentary candidate going to Brussels to represent those protesting against a proposal to build much-needed affordable and sustainable housing in York, something I imagine most voters across the city support. On top of that Alexander is protesting against the EU Commission, who are only considering this matter because Labour ministers failed to comply with procurement legislation they themselves agreed to bring into law in the Council of Ministers.

The words “opportunistic” and “muddle-headed” spring to mind. Christian Vassie, Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate in York Central, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.