Sir – Far from being a rumour-monger as implied by councillor Heathcoat (Letters, February 7), I am only, to use the popular jargon, seeking openness and transparency. We are told that those qualities are favoured by the UK government.

Sadly, they have not yet become standard practice in Oxfordshire.

Even now, though councillor Heathcoat has been provoked to respond, and seems to desire credit for bowing to pressure to do a U-turn and keep all the libraries open, far too much is kept hidden.

We do not know why the council failed to suggest more than one option when ‘consulting’ the electorate; failed to explain why rural libraries should bear all the cuts; failed to tell us the estimated cost of implementing their desired option; failed to heed warnings that busy rural communities, often coping with greater travel times and other stresses, might not be able to provide additional volunteers for libraries.

Could we now please go further and eliminate all traces of an outmoded, dictatorial style of local government. If councillors feel they cannot cope with openness, they should consider their positions.

Geoff Feasey North Leigh