IN answer to J Barnes' letter (Dudley News, July 16), I wrote to Ian Austin MP before the first appeal against the mosque plans and his words were that it should be judged on it's own merit. He has also been quoted as saying he will fight for any cause for the people of Dudley that he represents. It has since been pointed out that Kurshid Ahmed is the chairman of the North Dudley Labour Party (Mr Austin is the standing MP) so we can partly understand his stance but he should be made to withdraw the statement regarding "any cause".

None of the other political parties have been prepared to stand up and be counted on this issue - other than UKIP councillor Malcolm Davis -and the electorate of Dudley should remember this when they come begging for votes to help them keep their snouts in the trough.

Council Leader David Caunt said recently that Mr Daves was a "one-issue councillor" and that it was all in hand, that they would be claiming the land back at the end of the year due to the deed of covenant.

The question is, will Mr Caunt put his money where his mouth is and do exactly that? Because we all know that even if planning permission is given, it can't "be built or substantially built" before 31 December 2008 (unless they are doing it like McDonald's by having it built elsewhere and then flown in when permission is granted).

If this valuable industrial site is lost to the people of Dudley, we will slip further down the table for social deprivation and it would seem all of our councillors bar one are prepared to sit and watch that happen.

Phil Cherrington, Dudley