Chris Robins, a former Labour county councillor who lost his seat in the recent elections, and John Sanders, who is one of the five Labour members elected on May 5, are creating a misleading impression in their letters, Tories should use our skills (Oxford Mail, May 27).

We can't use Mr Robins's skills because he was unsuccessful at the polls -- the electors preferred to return two Conservatives to represent his division.

As for Mr Sanders, he is serving on the audit committee and the democracy and organisation committee.

All 10 of the county council's main committees have a membership appointed according to the proportion of the seats their party group holds on the council.

With five seats out of 74 on the county council, the Labour group is entitled to 13 seats out of a total of 118 and that is precisely the number they have been allocated.

They have just as much opportunity to exercise their skills on these committees as all other members of the council.

I hope they will soon overcome the natural grieving following such a calamitous failure in the local polls and join our members in working hard to make the county a better place for all its citizens. Keith Mitchell, Leader, Oxfordshire County Council