THE attempts by the Labour Party to bamboozle the public knows no bounds.

David Lock has acclaimed the "whopping" increases in spending on public services announced in the budget. He glosses over the fact that they come after three years of starving those services of the money.

Independent commentators have said that the truth is that as a percentage of gross national product, Labour's spending is now only what is was at the peak of John Major's government.

Recently I heard on my radio that Tony Blair and his colleagues are tired of seeing all their "extra" spending on the health service not resulting in the improvements wanted by the consumer, who should be King. This is a sick joke to Kidderminster people.

I now bitterly regret canvassing night after night for David Lock. He and his party have remained aloof from their natural supporters, concentrating on spin and media presentation.

They have been refusing for some time to contribute to the public meetings on the hospital, even though lifelong Labour voters were there, wanting to hear these arguments. If the local party still has any integrity at all, they will now call their own public meeting to genuinely test out their position.

Like the last government, this one will blame anybody but themselves for the state of public services. In my view it must now be seriously questioned whether either of the two main parties is competent to properly fund them.

Both run away from the question of taxation, and both will not tackle the problem of private health and education.

NIGEL GILBERT

Franche

Kidderminster