AN observation re Garry Perkins' letter of March 25. I was in the public gallery the night of the budget meeting. The reason why Lib Dems and Labour did not vote for the Tory budget was because the Tories proposed to reduce concessionary travel by £100,000 and put up minimum car park charges to £1 per hour. They said no to a Central Library.

I remember last year the Tories threatened to close a number of Libraries. What is their hidden agenda? As has been said many times, the Labour increase got through because a Tory sat with his arms crossed! The Lib Dems voted with the Tories. If he had voted it would have been even and the Lib Dem Mayor would have used his vote to throw out the Labour increase. So yes, we can blame it on the Tories.

By the way, does G Perkins want to be a councillor again? I remember he abstained from voting at a budget meeting a couple of years ago, to allow the Labour budget to get through.

L Williams

Westlea

Swindon