SO Wyre Conservatives think that a 4.4 per cent inflation-busting rise in the council tax is a good deal for Wyre residents?

It's hard to swallow! Coming as it does on the heels of an increase in car park charges in the borough (the Tories promised a review and then put the charges up!).

So what do the Tories plan to spend some of this increase on? No doubt many of your readers would be interested to know that at a recent council committee meeting Wyre Tories voted for an increase in the allowances for their leader and deputy-leader, which would even make a fat-cat boss of a privatised utility blush!

At a recent special meeting of Wyre's Policy Committee the Tories voted to more than double leader Pat Catlow's "special responsibility" allowance from a modest £2,706 per annum (1999-2000 figures) to a whopping £7,412. And the deputy leader, with less responsibility, is a winner too. He'll be in line to pocket £4,447 per annum, up from £2,313.

Labour councillors argued that the rises sent out all the wrong signals and requested that the proposed increases should be put out to review by an independent body, as happened last time in 1995 under Labour control. They were outvoted by the Tory majority.

If the Tories had waited until July they would have been obliged under new legislation to refer the matter to an independent remuneration panel. Readers may draw their own conclusions as to why they were in so much haste.

Compared with these huge rises, no wonder the Tory leader thinks a 4.4per cent higher tax bill for residents is a good deal. At least leaders' allowances is one area of public spending the Conservatives don't seem desperate to cut!

Glyn Bailey, Ash Drive, Poulton-le-Fylde.