I WAS not surprised by Cllr Mark Hood's latest failure to take even the slightest responsibility for his mistake in insisting publicly that I was an SNP activist.

As ever, he tried to deflect attention from his error by resorting to political name-calling.

According to him, the error didn't matter because SNP and Conservatives amount to the same thing, ie. not Labour.

Such idiotic thinking is the result of a tribal mindset (ie. if you're not in my gang, then whatever you say is nonsense because you're not in my gang).

Indeed, the reason Dave Dempsey called attention to Cllr Hood's mistake about me was that it was indicative of the tribalism which too often prevents the interests of local communities being heard or represented at Fife Council.

Different opinions are not respected or valued for what they might add to an issue; they are dismissed for coming from the other side.

The net result is that poor decisions are made, decisions which cost money and good will in communities. All councillors, and Fife Council as a whole, end up suffering in the estimation of the public. Witness the fiasco over the new visitor centre at the Meedies.

No wonder more and more people are calling for Council candidates to be independent of political parties.

What I am astonished by is that Cllr Hood thinks crying "Everyone else bad! Labour good!" will help whoever stands for Labour in Lochgelly, Ballingry and Cardenden in May.

LINDA HOLT,

Dreel House

Pittenweem.