Championing our councillors

Councillor Jones in his rather strongly worded letter in the Peterborough Telegraph, March 14, accuses the Liberal Democrats of “exaggerating the truth” on bus service cuts.

But his letter in many places is itself rather inaccurate and prone to exaggeration.

He says the no5 bus route was never under threat and it receives no public subsidy. Both statements are wrong! A number of evening, Sunday and bank holiday journeys on all the Stagecoach Citi routes including the no5 are subsidised by Peterborough City Council.

And under the Tory cabinet’s original budget proposals back in October all the Sunday evening and bank holiday bus journeys were stated as potentially under threat. So Cllr Jones would do better attacking the Tories for proposing bus cuts, rather than slating the Lib Dems for campaigning against them.

He says Cllr Bella Saltmarsh does not get support from her fellow Lib Dem councillors with casework. Well, people in Dogsthorpe know she is an experienced and hard working local councillor. We are always there to help her but usually she is pretty capable herself.

People in Dogsthorpe also know they have had Liberal and Lib Dem councillors there for over 35 years. A record of service and action that is hard to beat.

Finally, Cllr Jones complains about Lib Dems “asking you (local residents) to pay for

their propaganda”. He knows this is nonsense.

All Lib Dem councillors put out regular Focus newsletters paid for by the Lib Dems and delivered by volunteers. That’s why in many parts of the city when people find out the benefits Lib Dems as councillors, they like what they see and choose to re-elect them.

Cllr Nick Sandford Paston and Walton Ward