I would like to correct a misconception often given space in your letter columns by supporters of the Lib Dem administration that Kingston Council's Conservative opposition do nothing to persuade Government to improve the Government support grant, often quoted by administration leaders as the reason that we pay the highest council tax in London.

We get a poor deal from the Government and I wrote to the Secretary of State at the beginning of the summer complaining about the poor return for Kingston.

I received a reply from Minister for Local Government, John Healey MP, at the end of August.

Quoting from that letter: Basically they take money from us and then spend it in areas where they perceive more deprivation such as urban town centres in Mr Brown's Scotland and Mr Blair's north-east of England.

We are also contributing in some style for the regeneration of city centres in Manchester like Salford Quays.

The Conservative Party in Kingston recognises the needs of these other areas, but is totally against these projects being funded by the council tax payers of Kingston, many of whom now find themselves struggling with high council tax bills - this is a Government indirect taxation to fund national projects and should be funded from general taxation.

The problem in Kingston is that the Lib Dem administration does not know how to manage the budget that it has at its disposal.

Councillor Howard Jones
Leader of the Conservative Group
Kingston Council