I MUCH enjoyed reading the 'independent' and 'balanced' report of the council budget meeting from your correspondent Doris Bell of Nidd Grove (who, co-incidentally, has the same surname and same address as a local Labour councillor).

Ms Bell offers praise to the Labour leadership of the council and claims that LibDem proposals for efficiency savings which would allow more to be spent on front-line services are nothing but Liberal Democrat 'spin' (Letters, March 14).

Liberal Democrats will continue to present detailed, responsible and innovative proposals to the people of York.

Perhaps that helps explain why 5,000 more York residents voted Liberal Democrat than voted Labour at the last council elections.

Under York's Labour leadership, council tax is up, services go down, and manifesto promises are broken.

But at least Labour councillors still have willing relatives to speak up for these so-called achievements.

Councillor Mick Bradley,

Liberal Democrat Group Chairman,

Greystoke Road, York.

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, March 20, 2002