I’M afraid that Cllr Bob Barr is not quite correct (Warrington Guardian, August 19) in stating that the Redwood Bank deal was made with a former treasurer of the Conservative Party.

The situation is far worse than that.

David ‘Spotty’ Rowland (for it is he) was announced in 2010 as the next treasurer of the Party but he resigned before taking up the position after details of his controversial past were published in the Daily Mail, and this made him ‘a political liability’.

Mr Rowland was once described as a ‘shady financier’ on the floor of the House of Commons and as a ‘wheeler dealer extraordinaire’ in the popular press.

His ‘successful international bank’ which Warrington’s Board report referred to – Banque Havilland - was later fined 4 million euros by the Luxembourg regulator for money laundering and other breaches.

But none of Mr Rowland’s past was referred to in that report, as the recent release of its previously confidential part 2, has confirmed.

Yet it must have been known, in view of the ‘due diligence’ exercise carried out on the individual.

It therefore appears this vital background information must have been deliberately withheld from members, and they were expected to make a decision on the Redwood investment without it.

The real problem here is the unacceptable secrecy which seems to pervade council reporting and to which Cllr Barr rightly refers.

CHRIS HAGGETT Penketh

I REFER to the response from Cllr Bob Barr leader of Warrington Liberal Democrats into my letter regarding Labour’s Warrington Borough Council and its investments into Redwood Bank and Total Energy.

My letter has clearly rattled Mr Barr with me having the audacity to question why the opposition at the time ie The Liberals failed to ask robust questions about the investments and challenge the Labour party.

Mr Barr stated they did ask questions?

I never saw any reports in Warrington Guardian about this?

Therefore it didn’t happen.

The Liberal Democrats are a bunch of spineless individuals

GARY BEBBINGTON Grappenhall

I READ Cllr Bob Barr’s letter with interest.

He is write to point to keyboard warriors.

Everyone is an expert these days.

I am not sure if the council had its time again it would invest in Redwood Bank or Together Energy.

But its investments in Birchwood Park and the like is making this town millions a year.

It means services are still running.

The keyboard warriors don’t seem to have any other ideas as to where they would get this money which is being taking in its millions every year by the government.

Because I am sure the council would rather not be doing all this.

JAMES WILSON Orford