Madam,

Attending the social buffet evening for the ‘Save Bodlondeb Campaign’ members on Friday evening at Plas Antaron Hotel, as secretary I was so pleased to see and feel the congeniality of a group of members all of the same mind but with completely differing political affiliations. Despite the different polticial views, all had been of one mind on saving Bodlondeb Residential Home. It had cross-party support.

The members may well have lost the campaign with the closure of Bodlondeb but they certainly proved the unity of cross-party support to highlight what our elected representatives could and should be achieving without misplaced restrictions placed on them with regard to conforming to party dictate.

I firmly believe, as do the majority of the public, that party dictate should not be brought into local government when our elected councillors are there to act in the best interests of those who voted for them and their families rather than, as in this case, adhering to policies based often on poor management of finance.

Whatever political party holds the reins it should never expect or compel its members to act or vote against their own wishes for the people they represent.

Thanks to the Cambrian News - which keeps us informed - the members and newspaper readers know which of our councillors put party politics aside, despite the party dictate, in order to represent their electorate, and residents sincerely thank those councillors for their action in having the gumption to represent us in our interests.

I would like to believe that it is not too late for the necessary grants to be found and allocated for the refurbishment of Bodlondeb, which has no replacement and, as recently reported, has led to there being no vacant residential beds for our elderly and infirm within the county.

Your etc,

Pat Bates, Maes-Maelor, Penparcau, Aberystwyth.

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