DURHAM City Conservative parliamentary candidate Nick Varley rightly attacks the new Labour-controlled Durham County Council unitary authority for breaking a promise to reduce council tax to an average of zero per cent while condemning politicians for breaking promises (HAS, April 8).

At a full council meeting, when the Labour budget was moved, the Liberal Democrats presented an alternative budget that would have brought about a zero per cent increase. We had hoped, with the sound reasoning of our budget, and the help of other minority groups we could have prevailed.

However, this was not to be as the Conservatives voted with the Labour Group for the increase.

Mr Varley will no doubt be confused by this Labour-Conservative combination, but what it tells us is that the Conservatives in County Durham are only a fragmented force unable to get their act together to present a viable opposition.

The only real alternative to Labour in County Durham are the Liberal Democrats, who are going from strength to strength.

In the next 15 months, we will have both Parliamentary and European elections. A vote for the Conservatives is a vote to help Labour continue its grip over us.

Councillor Kevin Thompson, Liberal Democrats, Spennymoor and Middlestone Division, Durham County Council.