I READ with interest the response from the leader of the coalition group currently controlling Trafford and claiming that it is an exemplar of best practice in finance and service.

Having served as the county councillor for Huntingdon and Godmanchester, I worked on the areas of education and special education needs and knew first hand that the SEN budget was being emptied to support the teaching of English to non English speakers rather than helping English children secure the help they needed.

Cllr Western tries to wax lyrical about the prudence and efficiency of the council and uses the blame ticket on the heartless Conservative-led government.

Can I remind him that the financial woes and challenges that we face are caused by interfering and incompetent Labour governments (we were effectively bankrupt under Healey and Brown) and the enormity of the cost of being a subservient member of the dysfunctional and egotistical Berlin focussed EU?

Cllr Western had to have his pop at Brexit because, like the EU, the Labour Party instinctively does not want to represent ­— it wants to control and it resents accountability and true transparency.

In addition to our subsidies 25 per cent of our VAT that we raise is given to the EU over whom we have no say. 60 per cent of our laws are under their control so no UK MP can have any influence in those areas.

The UK is prevented from agreeing independent trade deals, especially with our Commonwealth friends because the EU prevents us from doing so and the whole EU project is Animal Farm writ large and replicates the Labour approach to do as we say rather than supporting people to think for themselves and encouraging them to achieve.

Does Cllr Western want to abolish selective education and our grammar schools?

Does he know what the economic costs will be in house prices, businesses moving and the suppression of the development of bright minds from all post codes that will cause?

Does Cllr Western understand that an economy that is prosperous creates jobs, wealth, opportunities, social mobility and is better placed to fund our excellent NHS and support, as I do as a volunteer, our veteran and elderly people?

Does Cllr Western understand that Labour’s obsession with control destroys communities and makes the vulnerable more vulnerable and drives wealth creators away?

Does Cllr Western understand the consequences of the Labour led PFI time bomb that awaits?

Does Cllr Western want our armed forces to be controlled by the EU?

Our financial challenges have been caused by Labour and the EU and the Conservative-run Trafford did an amazing job in reinventing Altrincham and delivering first-class services and the best state education within the budget which are concepts that Cllr Western will never understand.

Peter Booth

Hale