IN reply to Michael Wills MP (EA, February 5), please do not insult the intelligence of the people of Swindon.

The run up to the General Election may have started but that is no reason for distortions of and avoidance of the facts.

What the people want most from their politicians is a bit of honesty and a clear idea of their policies. The present administration has been in office for 18 months but only in power for seven months since their majority was secured.

In that relatively short period, we have seen the council's performance move out of the poor category, work begun on modernising the council and the lowest council tax rise for years about to be set at three per cent despite an extra £10 million going to education and social services.

The administration is delivering but you do not rise from the 13th worst rated authority to a top council overnight.

There is a huge amount of work to do and it will continue until the people of Swindon have a council they can be proud of.

As the Labour opposition is so keen to draw a line under their disastrous past perhaps they may like help the reconstruction with constructive comments and lobby their fellow MPs for proper funding for education and social Services and implore them to stop putting extra demands on council finances.

Coun R Bluh

Dorcan Ward