I FEEL I must have a right to reply to Mr Ratcliffe's letter (EA March, 24) naming me.
He claims that I mock the Tories and their performance in opposition, I do not.
What I do, is to point out their very poor performance as an opposition with a muddled way off presenting their budget and not being able to get their act together when voting.
To say that "A well orchestrated campaign of letters blames local Conservatives for the huge rise in council tax" is insulting to people who take the trouble to write to your paper.
What is beyond dispute is that the vote on budget day could have been different, the Labour budget could have been rejected if opposition councillors had not been absent, on holiday or abstaining from the vote. "Slavish obedience to the party" (Mr Ratcliffe's words) is not something I have ever indulged in, if I have an opinion I give it. If I do not agree with something I try to change it.
Peter Mallinson
The Bramptons
Swindon
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