Liberal Democrats councillors have chickened out of taking responsibility for the council tax increase.

The party of proportional representation (whatever happened to that?) has conducted an opinion poll, with loaded questions, has received a poor response of about ten per cent and has accepted the majority preference as its policy.

This increase has been decided by less than 7.5 per cent of the group consulted. Is this democracy? Is this success? Should it be lauded, as Councillor Galloway says, as "a campaign to give residents more say over key decisions affecting their lives".

Or is this just party politicking at residents' expense in pursuit of the Liberal Democrat's national policies?

Nevertheless, the Lib Dems should be congratulated on achieving something the Tories and Labour never managed. They are closing the Glen Family Respite Centre for six days to save £19,000 pounds. The cost of the survey would have saved nearly half of this had it not been commissioned.

This is an attack on vulnerable families. In withdrawing part of the vital support system, they have managed to make things worse.

Seems like a pattern to me.

Anthony Still,

Barbers Drive,

Copmanthorpe,

York.

Updated: 09:49 Monday, January 17, 2005