FROM her letter of November 10, Cllr Tina Funnell is evidently annoyed she was replaced at full council as health scrutiny chair.

She refers to an ‘‘en bloc’’ vote.

I leave it to residents whether they prefer the current chair Paul Doughty who was approved by Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green, Labour Independent and independent councillors, or whether they preferred the process by which the Labour group previously chose the chairs and their party whips did the rest.

It’s only a shame Cllr Doughty wasn’t in the chair a month earlier as he was keen to see discussion of Labour’s closure of Castlegate, which sadly Cllr Funnell blocked.

Cllr Funnell accuses myself and others of hypocrisy which is nonsense. Like the Labour group used to believe, I believe you cannot effectively scrutinise yourself and opposition councillors should dominate scrutiny committees, as they now do.

However, looking at the opposition councillors shows a wide variety of opinions on all issues.

The opposition are united in the view that Labour has failed the city, but have different views on how to take things forward.

Now we can finally discuss things and work together for York.

Chris Steward, Rural West York, Conservative group leader, City of York Council.