Thanks for your reply Paul.

I'm glad that you think people should be praised for good work in Ashton, and that sniping doesn't help anyone.

Perhaps then, you should have a word with your CAP colleagues who come onto this forum and do exactly that, snipe. This is what puts me (and a lot of other people) off from listening to you. The words of Peter and Claire from CAP on here do not look like the reasoned argument of prospective parliamentary candidates and councillors, but rather they reflect a nasty, confrontational and sometimes petty style of politics.

Calling the owner of this forum and the Community Forum website 'megalomanic' is an absolute nasty insult, and it is patently untrue, since as far as I know he holds no public office, nor has he sought any. Also, if accusing Friends of Ashton as being an extension of the CAP is not on, why do the CAP insist on doing the same about the Community Forum, saying it is an agent of new Labour?

If you're keen to work with people who have similar missions for Ashton as you say, why do the CAP publicly denigrate other community activists who just happen to have a different political persuasion? I thought you were 'non political' after all?

Thanks for the invite to discuss things, but from the actions of some of your members on here and in the press, I don't think that reasoned discussion is something the CAP does very well.

Matt - you are a hard man to please. You ask for information on CAP achievements/policies and when this is provided together with an invitation to attend meetings and have a discussion you beat a retreat making a flimsy excuse. I suspect you have another agenda. Incidentally on re-reading your postings you have been a little sarcastic yourself so the sniping is not all one sided.

I have no agenda Andy, and find the suggestion a bit insulting. There's too many of those accusations flying about, that's my problem. And any sniping was just me trying to play Mr Franzen at his own game. When I got constructive responses, I was constructive back.

But fair enough yeah, I think you're right about my mind being made up as far as CAP goes, hence no desire to attend a meeting. We'll just have to see what the election brings.