HOW can you tell that the local elections are around the corner? Read the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and the letters from messrs David Pearson and Walt Meadows, who are continually bleating about the so-called mismanagement of the ruling Labour Council in Blackburn and Darwen.

If these people think that the electorate is naive enough to believe that the 17 per cent increase in council tax is directly due to bad housekeeping by their local council, they are insulting the intelligence of the voting public.

Everyone knows the real reason that a large increase has been imposed is as a result of the oppressive right-wing policies of a Tory government which is on borrowed time.

Mr Pearson (Letters, March 14) writes that there could be an increase of 25 per cent next year.

Have no fear, dear citizens, by this time next year, hopefully, the 17 years of Tory mis-rule will have finally ended and the policies which have forced town councils to make excessive increases in council tax will be a thing of the past.

JOHN MILBURN, Laxey Road, Blackburn.

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