I was pleased to see a letter in the paper this week criticising my assessments of Dundee City Council.

By questioning the figures attached to the Union Street transformation, I was accused of turning “a positive Dundee story” into one of my “opinionated diatribes”.

“As is his normal style he uses his article to attack the council and councillors.”

I don’t know if the letter’s author is the George Laidlaw who is a former trustee of Dundee Leisure & Culture – responsible for the Olympia Centre and Caird Park Golf – but I offer him thanks for the opportunity to explain myself.

The reason I speak up is because there isn’t an effective political opposition in Dundee.

The Labour group on the council is old, tired and doesn’t do enough.

The Lib Dems do marginally better, though they pick and choose what they talk about and don’t have the........

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