When a politician resorts to personal attacks it usually means they’ve lost the argument, so I’m not too put out by David Rundle's charges (ViewPoints, December 15).

On the Headington car park issue, I opposed building above it from the start but have chosen to use behind-the-scenes persuasion among Labour councillors rather than megaphone diplomacy or signature hunting.

Of course, great credit is due to Headington residents but public opposition is to be expected in any development proposal, so people’s voices are not always sufficient.

Many Headington voters will be bemused at his suggestion that I am new on the scene, as 761 of them voted for me in May 2010.

I probably spoke to many more residents than he did, as he was also contesting the Banbury Parliamentary seat at the time.

I have lived in Headington (and am now half-a-mile away in Marston), often shop there or bring grandchildren to the Bury Knowle playground.

Another sign of desperation is his juxtaposing my views with an article five months ago by my husband Roy Darke.

There is a severe housing shortage in Oxford and Roy argued that all sites must be considered – but no intelligent person could interpret that to mean that all must be built on irrespective of the balance between housing and amenity. We don’t disagree on this site.

JANE DARKE, Edgeway Road, Oxford