I JOINED the Labour Party more than 30 years ago, much to the annoyance of my ultra-Conservative parents.

I have remained a member throughout that time and supported much of the modernisation which took place in more recent years.

Throughout my life, I have worked with and made friends of people of all political persuasions. Some who came into progressive politics during the 1980s or later may have joined the former SDP and later the Lib Dems, and often their outlook on life is not far removed from many Labour Party supporters.

This is why I now fail to understand how the York Lib Dems, mostly good, caring people with the interests of York citizens at heart, can allow themselves to collude with the Tories to force through a joint Con-Dem budget to the detriment of many of those citizens.

They have seen the damage to public services wreaked by this ideologically driven coalition government, yet are willing to forge a similar relationship in order to hang on to power.

Lib Dem integrity is not trusted nationally any more; they have now demonstrated that in York they are no more trustworthy than Clegg and Co are in Westminster.

Coun Barbara Boyce, Labour Member for Heworth Ward.