I WONDER if the Good Lord sent the snow to give us a timely warning of the effects of a Tory government.

The Tory Brighton and Hove City Council is quoted as boasting about its small increase in council tax.

Now we can see what these Tory cuts really mean after Councillor Geoffrey Theobald had to explain on the national news why the road clearing in Brighton was the worst in the country.

This is what the cuts in council tax have produced. This tax should be for the good of those living in the area.

All Coun Theobald could say was that it would mean higher taxes if the roads were to be cleared.

Is it more desirable or cheaper if hospitals have to cancel appointments and non-urgent operations so that it can deal with broken bones caused by falls on untreated pavements; if ambulances and other emergency services are at full stretch because of accidents and mishaps; if people are afraid to leave their homes for fear of falling on the ice?

I had a guest from France staying with me during the Christmas period. She has been visiting England since 1964 and was shocked by the lack of foresight in the face of weather that occurs every year at some time.

I was embarrassed to have invited her to Brighton, when I had looked forward to showing it to her with pride.

The state we are in here in Brighton under Tory rule is a portent of what life would be like under a Tory government. Think back to the unemployment, the cuts in services, the despair of the young going straight on to the dole, the closure of almost all our manufacturing industries.

New Labour is not the answer either. The party needs to listen to the voters and their anguish and get back to the socialist aims we once had.


Elizabeth Stewart
St Michael’s Place
Brighton