MR K Cheetham (Letters, September 6) asks why his Council Tax is so high. The short answer is that he lives in Blackburn!

The fundamental reason is that the majority of the local electorate support a high Council Tax - by voting Labour - and many of them pay no taxation whatsoever.

Mr Cheetham says his council tax has increased by one third over the past five years. Blackburn's Tax at Band D increased by over 40 per cent over four years, but whichever incremental figures are used, Band D, at £913, is one of the highest in the land.

Admittedly, Blackburn is now a unitary authority but so is Blackpool and its Band D is only £633.

Out of the 47 unitary authorities in this country, with Council Taxation ranging from £532 to £1,033 at Band D, Blackburn's £913 is the sixth highest.

Overall, Conservative councils cost less because they believe in delivering low taxes and quality services, but oppose new layers of regional bureaucracy.

However, Labour would probably say that earlier this year, members of the public were consulted on taxation and that Mr Cheetham had the chance to respond to their question: "If you think the Council Tax is too high, which services would you like to see cut?" - a bit like asking men if they've stopped beating their wives.

Perhaps he would have liked the question to have been re-phrased to something like: "If you think the Council Tax is too high, which unnecessary spending would you like to see cut"?

COUN J H HIRST, Beardwood and Lammack Ward, Blackburn with Darwen Council.

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