I WOULD appear to have ruffled Mr Foxcroft's feathers in my letter of May 20. He has now challenged me to answer five questions on Mr Howard's policies, should the Conservatives be returned to Government at the next General Election.

I have much pleasure in responding to his challenge by answering as follows.

Under this Government our local Primary Care Trusts are under pressure to meet national performance ratings rather than to listen to the concerns of local people. Hospitals and maternity units are under direct threat as a consequence.

Under the Labour Government violent crime has escalated, prisons are full and gun crime has become a part of life in some inner cities.

Our schools are under-funded and head teachers are inundated with new initiatives and red tape and find they have no longer have time to teach. Our hospital and medical staff are vulnerable to physical abuse and need security for protection whilst the police find it difficult to promote a friendly community image, whilst weighed down with body armour.

Councils across the country have been forced to cut back on road repairs and the overall state of our road systems could by no stretch of the imagination be the success story the Labour government claim.

Local services have been cut and council tax has rocketed with no apparent benefit to the community.

I offer some thoughts as to why the electorate may feel that the current Government is a failure: 66 new taxes, pensions in crisis, transport in chaos, tuition fees causing our students problems, asylum and immigration policies in disarray.

I feel voters on June 10 told the Government how they feel about its current policies.

JOHN STEVENS

Chairman

Devizes Conservative Branch