IT is fantastic news that organisations are looking to York for their high-profile conferences, and this week the city plays host to the Liberal Democrat spring conference.

York offers a lot to visitors with fantastic facilities, great visitor attractions, wonderful hotels and restaurants and a wealth of history in what we know is a beautiful city.

With a political hat on, there’s a tinge of regret that it is, after all, the Liberal Democrats visiting our fair city so we’ll have to pretend the rise in yellow colouring is down to early decorations for the Tour de France (which the local Liberal Democrats have fought at every turn, by the way).

However, there’s a great sense of irony at the venue for the conference – as the Barbican lay empty for the vast majority of the York Liberal Democrats’ time in administration of the council.

Was encouragement to the national party to come to York a form of apology by local Lib Dems for their maladministration?

Coun David Horton, Top Lane, Copmanthorpe, York