Having read last week’s Bury Times I admit to being surprised that the Member of Parliament for Bury North could not bring himself to support the measures set out in the recent budget.

Amongst other proposals, the Government announced that it was:

• Investing £400 million more in schools this year.

• Investment of £2 billion in Mental Health Services.

• That it was investing £20.5 billion more a year in the NHS.

• Cutting business rates for small shops by one third.

• Freezing fuel duty.

• Increasing the national living wage and cutting income tax, saving a typical basic rate tax payer £1,205.00 per year.

• Providing Councils with an extra £650 million a year for social care and £420 million for pot holes this year.

This means increased investment for our front running services in Bury, an example being that as a result of this budget an extra £816,711 will be invested in adult social care within the borough this winter.

Mr Frith’s support for a Marxist Leader who would turn this County into Venezuela and tax our borough’s businesses and entrepreneurs out of existence is the alternative on offer if Labour ever gain power. Indeed, our own Labour-run council is an example of what Mr Frith supports.

During 2017/18 Bury Council spent £1.6 million on outside consultants and the forecast spend on the same for this year is £1.2 million. That is over £2 million that could have been invested in front line services within our borough such as educational and school improvement support. Does Mr Frith support Bury Conservatives campaign to prioritise spending in these areas, benefitting the most vulnerable in our community and seeking to improve educational outcomes for our children or does he believe paying outside consultants millions of pounds is more important?

It is strange that Mr Frith mentions nursery education in his article, but has not once spoken to myself as chairman of governors of the only state nursery school in Bury to inquire about our school or congratulate the staff on achieving an outstanding OFSTED rating.

On highways, the Conservatives in Bury have called for millions to be invested in our highway network for many years and this has always been voted down by Bury Labour. Where has this left us? Due to their incompetence and no one else’s, 21% of our gross highways budget is paid out in insurance claims when it should be being used to fix pot holes and resurface roads.

Both nationally and locally, the Labour Party are a threat to jobs, our local businesses and continued investment to front line services.

I will always fight for what is right for our town and that will never be a Corbyn-led Marxist Labour Government or an incompetent Labour led Council whose record of delivery for local residents and management of our borough’s finances is pathetic.

The years of Labour rule in Bury have truly been “a missed opportunity”.