THE finance spokesman for City of York Council's ruling Liberal Democrat group, Coun Quentin Macdonald, is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

He claims that York residents still pay the lowest council tax in Yorkshire, as they did when Labour ran the council. But it is not true.

York's Band D council taxpayers, the group Coun Macdonald classes as 'typical', are paying £1,070 this year (up from £988 last year). This is more than Band D taxpayers in Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford.

Coun Macdonald claims that York's Band D council tax is £856, but that excludes the cost of the police and fire services which York residents pay for in their council tax bills.

To compare like with like, you need to include these services because they are part of everyone's council tax bill in York and in Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford.

York's city council has a good record of providing quality services at low cost but this year it came within a whisker of being 'council-tax capped' by central Government because the increase in the council tax was so high. The Government capped high-spending Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councils.

I will continue to argue for more money for York from central Government. This year, I secured £1 million extra in government grant, so York's grant went up 5.5 per cent, which is twice the rate of inflation.

I can win the argument only if York is seen to be careful with its money and my efforts will be undermined if the Lib Dems don't get their soar-away spending under control.

Hugh Bayley MP,

House of Commons, London.

Updated: 11:07 Thursday, May 20, 2004