LANCASTER City Council is in a financial mess. It is well known that this mess is the direct result of Labour incompetence in the Mr Blobby affair but less well known that both Labour and Conservative governments have deliberately underfunded local authorities like Lancaster whilst rewarding Scotland's citizens with an average 25 per cent more cash each from central government.

It is time that the citizens of the Lancaster received their fair share from government. If we got 25 per cent more cash from central government there would be no financial crisis, no talk of closing museums, no talk of big rate increases for hard pressed residents and a lot more delivered to make life better for the elderly and young people.

The time has come to make the system of funding local authorities completely open and fair. I'm fed up of the constant arguments about what we should cut and excuses about why we can't have decent public services. This is all down to both Labour and Conservative governments who are responsible for underfunding Lancaster's services whilst trying to buy votes in Scotland.

Cllr Jon Barry is wrestling with budget ideas to keep the city council afloat and 25 per cent more cash would solve our problems. It is totally unacceptable that we should have to penny pinch and scrape because of an accident of geography. If decent funding is good enough for Gretna Green (90 miles to the north) it's good enough for us.

John Whitelegg, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate, Derwent Road, Lancaster