Council leader Bright hopes to bring order to council meetings by insisting that members ask only written questions.

What a pity such a rule didn’t apply from 2008 to 2012, because then we would not have been subject to the sheer stupidity of people on the opposition benches.

Posturing and repetition (Ladyhill, Mansion House, Tredegar House, £21million of tarmac) were the order of the day with insults being thrown across the chamber between Labour and Tories.

Sometimes a council meeting could take five hours before opposition councillors drifted away. It was often a farce with nothing democratic about their behaviour.

But Labour’s latest antics in preventing people from asking oral questions is another step backwards for this new authoritarian council. The 30 years prior to 2008 are back with a vengeance. Control, secrecy and snouts in troughs. Is this what people voted for on May 3?

Mr Bright tries to insult the previous leader by suggesting he understood only simple questions. The reality was that Mr Bright asked no sensible questions at all.

The ones he did ask were often sneering and nasty, but they were generally answered in a civilised way which is what one would expect in such an arena.

Carmel Townsend, St Julians Road, Newport