SIR – It appears Joe Ashton has deliberately set out to mislead your readers in his letter (T&A, February 5) about my prediction at my Baildon coffee morning that the Shipley Eastern Bypass would not happen in the near future.

His suggestion that I seem to lack “understanding” as to “how important this scheme is” could not be further from the truth.

At the meeting he attended, I made it VERY clear how CRUCIAL I believe the Shipley Eastern Bypass is, how I was doing all I could to persuade Bradford Council to introduce it, and that I would continue to do everything possible to see it introduced.

I clearly said that my prediction about the length of time it would take to happen was down to the fact that Labour controlled Bradford Council had told me that the Shipley Eastern Bypass was a long way down their list of transport priorities and that they had other schemes in other parts of the district as higher priorities.

Joe Ashton’s deliberate and politically-motivated attempt to twist what I said so blatantly does him no credit, nor does it reflect well on the Labour Party who have selected him as their candidate.

It is what brings politics into disrepute.

Perhaps it was done to try to draw attention away from the fact that his Labour Party in Bradford, who are in control, have abandoned Baildon and any prospect of them getting funding for the Shipley Eastern Bypass. Unfortunately for Joe Ashton, people in Baildon are not as gullible and stupid as he clearly thinks they are.

If Joe Ashton wishes to engage in such a pathetic and childish form of student politics can I suggest he does it elsewhere. Baildon deserves better.

Philip Davies MP, Hartlington Court, Baildon, Shipley