It is very strange to see Labour county councillors attacking the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall for allowing its members a free vote on charging for residents' parking permits in Oxford (Oxford Mail, January 29).

Residents in different areas of the county, and indeed different areas of the city, hold different views on this issue - as was clear from the public consultation before these charges were imposed.

It seems to us quite in order to allow their democratically-elected councillors to represent those views at council.

In huge contrast to this cheerful acceptance of differences of opinion is the action of the Labour group at the same council meeting on the issue of waste disposal. On this, the Labour group joined the Conservatives in a disgraceful suspension of the council's standing orders to avoid a vote at all.

We can only assume that this was to avoid a split, as we know that councillors Val Smith and Terry Joslin hold diametrically opposite views on incineration.

We have no difficulty with them having different views on the ways to dispose of Oxfordshire's waste - we wouldn't dream of attacking them for hypocrisy for not being able to agree on this.

We just wish they felt confident enough themselves in their views to be able to express them freely in a vote on the issue.

In the end, I wonder what people would prefer to see in their elected representatives?

An opposition party that is so scared of having a difference of opinion that it joins with the administration in avoiding a vote on a major issue facing the county - or a more mature approach which allows councillors to put local residents' views before any dogmatic party whip?

ZOÉ PATRICK (Councillor) Leader of the Opposition Oxfordshire County Council