Election letters special

HUGH Bayley's extraordinary claims about the City of York Council must not go unchallenged. Not for the first time he is guilty of quoting only one side of the story.

It is what makes working with him, for the benefit of the city, so difficult.

Yes, grant to York has increased over the last four years - at exactly the same rate as for other councils.

The increases were to pay for the costs of administering new responsibilities, such as the licensing system. Much of the rest went on paying for initiatives such as the pensioners' free travel pass.

A little was earmarked to deal with increased demand for services, such as the increasing numbers of elderly that we have in our community. What Hugh Bayley does not tell residents this that the increase paid for only a small proportion of those increased costs.

We had to find the rest from efficiency improvements - where we beat central Government's own demanding targets. More importantly, York still gets one of the lowest public service grants in the country.

Even our "fair grant for York" campaign, when acknowledged by Government, resulted in increased payments being phased in over five years, costing the city another £4 million.

York has the lowest expenditure per head of population of any council in the country. It has nothing to do with council tax capping - that was a silly argument about less than half a percentage point on council tax levels.

Compare York with Tory Harrogate, where residents pay £160 more for public services each year, or, dare I say, Labour Gateshead, where you would pay £300 more.

York now has the 14th lowest council tax of 352 local authorities nationwide. An inconvenient truth for Mr Bayley.

Steve Galloway, Leader, City of York Council, Stirrup Close, Foxwood, York.

Credit on schools

I THOUGHT your article (All still to play for as York goes to the polls, April 30) was overgenerous to the Liberal Democrats in its analysis of their schools and leisure performance over the last four years.

The Liberal Democrats can claim no legitimate credit for the school rebuilding or the eight children's centres, as these projects are virtually entirely down to the Labour Government initiative and funding programme.

The new building at Huntington School was agreed by Local Labour before May 2003, along with four primary schools, Hob Moor, Hob Moor Oaks, St Barnabas and St Oswald's, where building work has recently been completed.

Furthermore, the Oaklands/ Lowfield leisure facilities were started by Local Labour, and credit should go to Hugh Bayley for his hard work in lobbying the Government for the funding for the new York High School. The one common message from York residents to Local Labour has been how let-down they feel by this outgoing Liberal Democrat council in relation to the provision of new buildings for leisure facilities.

Let us hope their disappointment is reflected in the ballot box, so the Liberal Democrats are no longer able to mismanage our council.

Coun Viv Kind, Labour spokesperson for education and children's services, City of York Council, Sefton Avenue, York.

Alleys to nowhere

THE Liberal Democrats' claim that they have a successful alleygating programme in Clifton is widely misleading (All still to play for as York goes to the polls, April 30).

The Liberal Democrats have employed an alleygating officer for more than three years to the cost of £75,000, but at Easter this year they had only installed 16 gates.

In addition, the Clifton alleygating initiative has only moved forward in recent weeks because of efforts and ward committee funding by the Local Labour Clifton ward councillors, and the help of the Safer York partnership and Home Office.

In the light of the Liberal Democrats' achieving so little over the last four years, their claim of concern about back alley crime and antisocial behaviour can only be seen a cynical election ploy. To re-elect them in control of the council would be the biggest crime of all.

Coun Ken King, Clifton ward councillor, Acomb Road, York.

Flying into flak

AS someone born in York, I find it rather insulting when three people who only reside in York because of their employment think it their "God-given" duty to tell British people who they should and should not vote for. While our archbishop and his liberal friends are hugging each other and finding ways to make white people feel ashamed to be white, our country and our city are crumbling before our eyes.

If Emmanuel "Ezenwa" Panther and Steve Bowey, born in Glasgow and Durham respectively, put as much effort into playing for York City as in trying to undermine the democratic process, City wouldn't have to rely on play-offs to get back into the football league. Stick to football, lads, don't get involved in something you know nothing about.

As for the Ugandan-born archbishop, who sat on the anti-white McPherson Report into the so-called "racist attack on Stephen Lawrence", I'd like to know why he never made an issue of young white lads like Kriss Donald, Lee Martin, Gavin Hopley, Sean Whyte, Scott Pritchard, Ross Parker, all killed in vicious anti-white racist attacks by ethnic minorities.

As nobody has been convicted of killing Stephen Lawrence, how can it be classed as racist?

Most readers will not have heard the names of the murdered young white lads, as the British media and puppets like Sentamu don't seem to have much interest in them, probably because highlighting their deaths does nothing to promote the cancerous ideology of multiculturalism.

York British National Party are not concerned with the effect another smear story will have on voters.

Like the Second World War bomber pilots used to say: "You know when you are over the target because you start to get a lot of flak."

Ian Dawson, Group Support (BNP), PO Box 699, York.

Staying positive

I AM standing as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats, and it is clear the need to fight a positive campaign is more important than ever. Partisan politics is wearing the electorate down.

When out canvassing recently, a young lad sitting on his tricycle asked what was on the leaflet I was pushing through the door.

When he was told it was about politics he shook his head and mumbled: "Bloody politicians," before wheeling himself away.

I chose York to study biology 12 years ago, and stayed to be a teacher here because York is a beautiful city. This is due to the hard work of councillors from all parties.

I have chosen to stand for the Liberal Democrats because I am keen to help to improve recycling rates and our local environment. I hope that whoever wins will continue to work hard in these areas.

I'd like to urge everyone registered not to get disillusioned, and believe they can have a positive impact on how York develops in the future. I think it's most important to exercise your hard-won electoral right, whoever you vote for.

Jon Stott, Liberal Democrat candidate for Holgate ward, Lindley Street, York.

Stop this car park' getting any bigger

I WAS very pleased to read in the Press (April 28) that Lib-Dem councillor Ann Reid had once again raised one of the Conservative policy issues of dualling the northern ring road.

It is a pity that the Liberal Democrats will not come on board with us and stop this large car park, which is slowly grinding the city of York to a halt, getting bigger.

Only the Highways Agency can pay for such a large undertaking, and one would have thought Coun Reid would see that it was in her own interest, as she would be able to attend weddings along a road with no traffic lights much more quickly.

Bill Bennett, Conservative candidate for Heworth Without, Ash Street, York.