IT is most disappointing that the Tory leader of Swindon council has used his chance to write a weekly column in the local paper for party political ends.

He trots out again the misleading percentages of alleged Labour rises in council tax when he should be arguing for a better deal from government.

The Tory record in charging council tax is much worse than Labour’s when the actual payment is taken into account.

It was in 2002 when Rod Bluh claims his party took control and the council tax then in Band D was £757 excluding fire, police and parish rates. It is now £1,130 using the same criteria. This is verifiable on the council’s own website. The Tory percentage thing is not provable and is indeed a spin doctor’s campaign slogan. It was in 2002 that the then Tory leader in Swindon proposed an increase of 12.5 per cent on council tax. We don’t have a problem with that, it was the right thing to do at that time, indeed bring him back, he would not be spending the council’s cash on daydreams like canals, tabernacle stones or wifi.

The reason Swindon has been in financial difficulty since it took over from Thamesdown has been the formula by which the central government grant is calculated. We had this discussion with the former Labour MPs who failed to get a beneficial change for us. Now their Tory successors have overseen a move in the other direction where Shire districts have had cuts of around three per cent while urban areas such as Swindon have been cut by 8.9 per cent and more.

Either work in the best interests of Swindon as a whole Mr Bluh or get out of the way and let a proper business person take over as leader while Tories remain in control of the Swindon council.

COUN DES MOFFATT Labour Western