Letter: Labour unrest

Sir: Contrary to the report "Labour slaps down unrest" (14 August), and the claims made by Tom Sawyer, the party general secretary, I did not send "an open letter" protesting at telephone voting in the national executive committee elections.

I wrote a private letter to the general secretary registering my objection to telephone voting, based on my concern that the process was open to abuse and manipulation, that it had never been authorised by the NEC, and that there was no precedent for telephone voting in Labour Party elections.

For reasons best known to himself, Tom Sawyer saw fit to press-release my letter and his response, and then to attack me personally on the Today show. As Labour Party members cast their votes for the NEC, I hope they will bear in mind the important political issues raised by the candidates of the centre-left Grassroots Alliance and disregard such distractions.

LIZ DAVIES

London N1