BLACKBURN Conservatives' vice-chairman David Pearson (Letters, March 28), knows as well as I do that the goalposts have changed on the grant councils receive from central government and if, as he claims, Blackburn is more highly taxed than surrounding authorities, why have outside auditors claimed that people are still getting value for money?

The council tax increase of 17 per cent is a figure that should be applied to the amount his party have put on indirect taxation or VAT and wanted to impose on domestic fuel bills.

Let's not forget that if Blackburn had a lower-than-normal council tax, such as that at Westminster, people wouldn't be shouting about the cost of services - they would be crying over the shady dealings of a dishonest Tory assembly, more concerned with putting themselves in a favourable electoral position than with doing what was right even if it was unpopular.

DUNCAN MCVEE, Robin Bank Road, Darwen.

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