HUGH Pym's rant about the Tories' legacy in last week's Gazette was only offered to readers in a nave attempt to divert their attention from the reality of the expensive and disastrous administration his party are providing for the stakeholders (New Labour speak meaning "tax-payers") of North Wiltshire.

Readers are politically astute enough to know better. They know how the Lib Dems who run North Wiltshire District Council have run headlong into chaos.

As well as having spent a massive £34 million from capital reserves in a single year, they have embarked on what can best be described as the Monkton Park fiasco.

Work, approved by the Lib Dems was due to start on these new council offices in July 1999. That was put back to February 2000. It is now November 2000 and still no work is being done.

The Lib Dems promised the new offices would save the tax-payer £60,000 in the first year. It is now known there will be no savings at all and that by year 25 there will probably be more than £1.5 million extra costs.

At the same time the Lib Dems have presided over another fiasco. This one is in Calne where the town centre redevelopment is several years late and several million pounds over budget.

We all know the Lib Dems will say anything to get a vote and Hugh Pym is no exception.

In this case, however, he is doing it in a vain attempt to prevent the loss of votes.

To their chagrin his party members have already experienced a decimation of support throughout most of the rest of Wiltshire.

In this real world, it is hardly surprising a number are joining the Tories, rather than their political bedfellows. We look forward to many more so doing.

Coun Anthony Molland

Kennet Conservative

district councillor

Whistley Road

Potterne