In Bromley this week the Liberal Democrats have distributed a leaflet headlined 'Tories cut local services' - just another shot in the meaningless ding-dong between the main parties.

Would their spokesman/woman care to estimate how much our essential services are cut by continuing to contribute such huge sums to Brussels as the fee for our membership of the European Union? During the year 2000, the latest figures available indicate that ap-proximately £11 billion was paid over which we received back £5 billion to spend on their terms, so that net expenditure for last year was £5 billion. Since our membership began in 1973 £110 billion has been paid over with a rebate of £70 billion to spend on their terms. Just think of the improved services, hospitals and schools which could have been built if that money had remained at home.

The lib/dem party is of course the most enthusiastic supporter of the surrender of our independence to Brussels, a fact which it man-ages to conceal as much as possible at election time. It is therefore guilty of gross hypocrisy if nothing else.

It would benefit all our people if the main parties based their poli-cies on greater honesty and kept all national resources at home to spend on the electorates greatest concerns.

Mrs S Donaldson

Cooden Close

Bromley

December 5, 2001 14:19