FOLLOWING the story in the Warrington Guardian (August 18) highlighting the backing of Owen Smith in the Labour Party leadership contest by Helen Jones and 50 borough and parish councillors.

I feel obliged to clear up any uncertainty regarding the validity of such ‘open’ letters.

Although the Warrington South constituency Labour Party did vote to back Owen Smith no such vote was taken in Warrington North.

The letters from both Mrs Jones and the 50 councillors makes no mention of this fact, and risks leading people to believe that Labour Party members in Warrington North support Owen Smith in the leadership election when it is impossible to know one way or the other.

The pattern of results in other CLP votes around the country actually indicates that Labour Party members in Warrington North are nearly six times more likely to back Jeremy Corbyn if a vote were taken at CLP level.

Without a mandate from the Warrington North CLP, every one of the signatories to those letters are merely individual members of the party like anybody else.

As they have clearly forgotten to point that out, I’m happy to make the correction on their behalf.

PAUL MIDDLETON Labour member, Warrington