LETTER: We are used to Conservative slight of hand

After reading the letter written by Coun. Heginbotham, I feel I should be allowed the privilege of being granted the right of reply.

Mr Heginbotham is obviously referring to a letter written by a lady reader who asked Mrs Cooper a direct question, to which Julie Cooper gave a full and frank answer.

There was no question in the lady’s letter about council tax and, if there had been, I think it would have been addressed in the same forthright manner. Pity then that Mr Heginbotham chose to include council tax in his own letter but this is the usual slight of hand we have come to expect from the Tories.

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It is also a pity he continues the attack with his comments about the 2% increase, saying they would have a severe impact on those with savings on which they depend and which only give a measly interest of 1% or, in some cases, only a half of 1% with their living costs having already been dented by electricity and gas bills, and in this statement we can see the blinkered attitude of the Conservative Party.

Who imposed the interest rate? Plus, who has done nothing to keep utility bills from going through the ceiling? Well, Mr Heginbotham, it is your own party causing these problems, oh, with the connivance of the Lib-Dems, and for anyone doubting the voracity of this, Mr Osborne constantly states how proud he is of being part of a Government that has held interest rates down for such a long time.

I think if he reduced the rate of VAT he would be better served.

However, to continue about the council tax, he must be aware of the fact the council is setting up a support plan, which would calculate support in the same means-tested way as council tax, so the needs of vulnerable groups continue to be taken into account. I’m surprised he didn’t mention that or perhaps he didn’t attend the meetings?

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Now, before I finish, there is just one more point I would like to raise.

I should like to refer him to comments made by Coun. Roger Frost about the freeze in Lancashire County Council tax.

He, Mr Frost, says the Conservative-run county council has already made huge cuts to services, which have led to the loss of 1,500 jobs in social care and child and young people’s services. He goes on to say these cuts were already affecting people’s lives and states it is all very well having a tax-freeze but the Lancashire County Council has already cut a large number of services in Burnley.

Now correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t he a Lib-Dem?

In my view, one of the more enlightened Lib-Dems.

Mr K. Royle, Burnley

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