NOT that many months ago, senior Labour politician Stanley Henig told us that a vote for a regional assembly would ensure the Western bypass.

Now his colleague the Deputy Prime Minister tells us that we are not to be allowed a democratic vote on a regional assembly. How this will affect us bidding goodbye to Lancashire County Council, we have yet to find out.

Over the last four years we have elected a majority of MPs, county councillors and district councillors who all told us they preferred the Western bypass.

When the anti-progress parties objected, we had a local consultation. This also came out strongly in favour of the Western route.

Now a firm of unelected newt consultants from Cambridge, supported by a lady QC from London, have told us we can only have the Northern route. Thus traffic will be as bad in the city centre for ever and worse in Galgate and Slyne.

But my main point is that since 1997 the government has been talking about devolving decision taking to the lowest level. In practice the decisions are still taken at the highest level without any local opinion being considered. We have been lied to yet again.

Michael Jackson, Hest Bank