ST HELENS North MP Dave Watts has welcomed this year's local government funding package unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott on Tuesday.

After being elected in May, Dave pledged to fight for a fairer deal for St Helens and for an end to the system which saw services to St Helens townsfolk being cut while better off areas like Westminster got massive subsidies.

Dave has recently been appointed vice-chairman of a group of 118 MPs who are pressing the government to bring fairness to the funding system.

He told the Star: "I am delighted that the new Labour government has made some of the changes we have been campaigning for. However, the present system still needs further changes. We intend to seek a meeting to discuss some of the further options.

"But I am very pleased to say that this will be the first time for many years that we have seen a government which tries to help a town like St Helens."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.