A GREAT deal has been made by the Liberal Democrat members through your columns about the Labour group not submitting an alternative budget.

Let me explain my reasons for not pressing for an alternative budget. First, I'm reminded of the old saying: "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." This Lib Dem budget was so bad it couldn't be amended. The only realistic option was to reconstruct it from the beginning. That would have taken hours of senior-officer time, diverting them away from their vital duties. It would add a not inconsequential number of additional meetings and cost thousands of pounds. The end product would have been a worthwhile alternative budget, but for what purpose?

The Liberal Democrat majority (elected by the will of York residents) would have voted it down and thousand of pounds of council tax payers' money would have been wasted, not to mention the wasted hours of precious officer time. That would not have been the actions of a responsible political party acting in the best interests of those who elected them. I am not interested in setting an alternative budget just to make a political point.

Coun Derek Smallwood,

Wycliffe Avenue,

Tang Hall, York.

Updated: 09:45 Friday, April 21, 2006