HAPLESS Labour MP John Denham may attack me (Echo letters, December 4) but one charge that cannot be made against me is that I don't stand up for residents interests as a local Councillor. In contrast, people will draw their own conclusions on why he continues to pretend that Southampton City Council is properly funded and why he refuses to lobby for our city.

The facts speak for themselves; at a recent finance presentation to all councillors, regardless of political party, the shortfall in funding was identified as £3.1million for 2008. It is not just council taxpayers who have to plug the gap- the squeeze is on for businesses as non-domestic rates are raised in Southampton and spent in the Labour heartlands of North East and West of England. Even more outrageous is the decision to confiscate some of the housing rents generated from Southampton's council houses. Why hard-pressed tenants in estates such as Shirley Warren in my ward should be subsidising other parts of the county is not just inexplicable, it is a scandal.

Most patronisingly of all on the on going Labour funding row, he says he would like a consensus from all the major political parties on how money is raised and spent and that this would "help the public understand.'' Despite Mr Denham's protestations to the contrary, the public understand perfectly clearly what is going on.

Cllr Matthew Dean, Southampton.