SO I'm going to be held accountable for the carriageworks closure, the introduction of the council tax, student loans and the 'destruction' of the NHS (Letters, October 19).

I'm flattered by the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate's assessment of my notoriety. But I think it's exaggerated.

Imagine the trouble I'd be in if I really was responsible, as is Coun Waller, for introducing York's parking charges?

Imagine if I'd overshot our council's budget by £2 million this year, and then, incredibly, agreed to an overspend of £14 million for 2005. My political career would be in shreds.

But that's not stopped the Lib Dems selecting the same Parliamentary candidate who came third in 1999, and third in 2001, to run again.

I wish I'd attended that selection committee meeting: "Right comrades, which one of us going to attack our Hugely Boring, rightish, rich, socialist MP?"

"I know, let's chose the bloke who lost it for us twice before."

"Aye, that'll fettle them."

There are no circumstances in which Lib Dems ever save the electorate money, although they have plenty of creative ways of spending it, as Coun Waller is proving to York's cost.

Don't stop now. Lib Dems are currently one of my key electoral assets!

Clive Booth,

York's Conservative

Parliamentary candidate,

Ash Street, York.

Updated: 11:13 Thursday, October 28, 2004