Michael Williams (Letters, February 4) insults the intelligence of readers when he claims council tax in Brighton and Hove has risen by 55 per cent in five years and voters would support an annual referendum on council tax levels.

That would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds - cash better spent on schools, social care and job creation.

He insults dedicated local authority workers when he denigrates their achievements to score political points. He thinks better rubbish collection, improvements in local schools and the regeneration of our city to the benefit of the whole community are not things he should be paying for.

He insults the electors of the city hoping they will not notice that council tax rises elsewhere are similar in scale and that council tax levels overall in Conservative-run authorities are even higher. He seems to believe voters will always choose less tax over better public services.

He insults us all when he thinks we won't realise his letter is a thinly veiled attempt to shore up support for a drifting, divided and dwindling Tory opposition.

-Warren Morgan, Freshfield Street, Brighton