WE, members of the Ripon Conservative Group, have been following your coverage of Councillor Andrew Williams’ appointment as chairman to Ripon City Council’s (RCC) Finance and General Purposes Committee – Cllr Williams is the former mayor who was convicted of taking the council’s ice cream takings at a gala (D&S Times, June 12). Members of our group opposed this appointment as it is totally inappropriate to have someone as chairman of such an influential committee, which is responsible for making financial policy, when he has been convicted of fraud. We share the public’s concern that this appointment can only serve to bring the council into disrepute and, one might add, ridicule.

Furthermore, we think we are justified in pointing out that the “Independents” who voted for Cllr Williams acted in concert, not independently. We also believe the public of Ripon deserve to know the names of those who voted for this appointment. Proposed: Cllr Peter Horton; Seconded: Cllr Charlie Powell, with Cllrs Sid Hawke, Jo Bate, Michael Waiting, Andrew Williams and Adrian Morgan all voting in favour of the motion.

It could be added that Cllr Williams must have reservations about his own suitability to properly and fully fulfil the office of chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee in that he has stated he, as chairman, does not wish to be a signatory on the Council’s bank mandate, as RCC’s Standing Orders (SO) stipulate, and he has requested the council amend its SOs.

The Conservative councillors, albeit in the minority on RCC, will continue to represent the electorate of Ripon with honesty and integrity.

Cllr Alan Skidmore, Cllr Bernard Bateman, Cllr Mike Chambers, Cllr Stuart Martin, Cllr Richard Willis, Cllr Peter Pearson, Cllr Mick Stanley, Cllr Lynette Barnes, Cllr Zoe Metcalfe.