I WAS fascinated by your editorial of April 16 in which you castigated the county council for the assumption that we will plough on regardless with Transform Oxford in Queen Street, and then suggested it might be a “vote-winner”.

Well, well! Why are politicians elected? To provide clear leadership after listening to and considering people’s views, or blindly to follow every populist whim and to bow to whoever shouts loudest? If Transform Oxford is such a bad idea, why would it be a “vote-winner”? I am not sure I know the answer.

For my own part, I was heartened to see the current results of the Oxford Times e-poll on Transform Oxford where, by approx 1.30pm on Monday, 91 of those who answered the question “Do you support the county council’s Transform Oxford proposals?” answered yes.

Leadership is about proposing solutions, consulting on the proposals, balancing the inevitable conflicting responses and, then, providing sure and confident leadership. It is this sort of leadership that Oxford desperately needs and it is this sort of leadership that the county council’s present administration will continue to provide.

KEITH R MITCHELL, Leader of the Council, Oxfordshire County Council