RICHARD BURT - NEWS

What were Tory views at start of 10p row?

Have readers noticed how the Conservatives have recently been making a great deal of noise about the need to compensate people who lose out as a result of Labour's decision to double the lOp income tax starter rate?

The truth is they refused to support a compensation package when one was proposed last year.

On June 25, in the House of Commons, after the tax rise was first announced, Liberal Democrat MPs Vince Cable and Julia Goldsworthy along with Labour's Frank Field co-sponsored an additional clause (no.l4)to the Finance Bill (2007).

999 row court threat

Campaigners are threatening to take ambulance managers to court over what they have branded an “unlawful” decision to close Shropshire’s emergency control centre in Shrewsbury.Staff at the emergency operations centre at Bransford, Worcestershire, have served the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust with a “letter before claim”. They are appealing to the trust to reverse its decision.

What a sorry state Tenbury’s Christmas lights look this year

Editor

Following the devastating floods of the summer, the town needed a real lift to bring some festive cheer in for Christmas shoppers. Instead we have been treated to a miserable display by the standards of recent years.

I’ve been told that initial contributions fell from £5,000 to £2,500 this year, but health and safety reasons meant that many of the existing decorations were too risky to put up, and some of the fittings needed to be improved. This means that very little has been left to spend on replacements and has left the town feeling miffed with the results.

If problems with the existing displays and fittings had been made public earlier, I feel sure a solution could have been found. Many local residents take a very dim view of the current display.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Burt
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate
West Worcestershire