Allan Smith

I was astonished to read oil giant BP made £6.75-billion profit in the past six months, the equivalent to £2-million every hour.  With oil prices soaring and fuel prices at an all time high it is scandalous they are able to get away with making so much money.  Motorists have faced a 10p per litre price increase in the last three months, yet during the same period BP's profits have risen by 23 per cent.

If that was not bad enough the recent fall in the price of petrol at the forecourt is not as much as it should be. The wholesale price of petrol has fallen 12 per cent in the past fortnight, which should mean a 7p per litre cut at your local petrol station.  Yet the price has, on average, dropped by just 2.5p per litre and even that cut was driven by the supermarkets.

The Conservatives privatised the oil industry in the 1980s but their recent ‘solution' to the problem, announced by shadow chancellor George Osborne, has a huge flaw. He recommends that when the price of oil goes up, fuel duty comes down and vice versa. But as oil is a finite resource the price of oil will never come down significantly, meaning fuel duty would fall until it reaches zero - would the Tories then subsidise petrol?  How would that money be recovered? Through massive council tax increases or would they do away with hospitals, schools or the police?!

It seems as though Cllr Ivan Glover has a very short memory if his letter in the Telegraph (‘Tories are not a party to flog off services' - July 24) is anything to go by. However, let me remind him about some of his party's attempts to ‘flog off' local public services as he seems to have forgotten. 

The Baths Hall was put up for sale by the Conservatives to be sold to the highest bidder. It would be a block of flats now if it was not for the Labour group.  Riddings Pool - earmarked for closure by the Tories, saved by Labour. Indeed, the Tories tried to hand over all our leisure services to an external company and were only stopped by this Labour council. 

Let's not forget they shut local schools going against the wishes of local residents and Cllr Glover personally stopped lunchtime meals being sold at the Plowright - one can only assume this was the first nail in the theatre's coffin as the Tories planned to sell that off too.  And it would be remiss of me not to mention the Conservatives nationally flogging off the oil, rail and electricity industries as they lined the pockets of greedy shareholders and made people suffer with higher prices and a poorer service.

The Tories are not a party to flog off services? History and facts say otherwise!

What a fabulous performance of Moulin Rouge performed by the Kay Traviss Dance Group!  I was lucky enough to visit the Plowright Theatre last week to watch some extremely talented dancers and actors perform magnificently. 

I have been lucky enough to see a number of superb shows this year and it is testament to the abilities of local people.  A big well done to all those involved and I am delighted the local arts continue to flourish.

We are very lucky in this country to have a National Health Service. Before the NHS was founded the only way to get healthcare was to pay for it directly. That meant many families simply could not afford treatment.  On July 5, 1948 Labour set up a free healthcare scheme which continues to grow and, 60 years on, is now better than ever.

I have needed health treatment a number of times in recent years and I have nothing but praise but for doctors, nurses and everyone involved in my treatment. I have been able to choose the hospital I wish to attend and I have often been told that my appointment has been brought forward as waiting list times have been slashed.  NHS funding has trebled since 1997 and we have more hospitals than we have ever had.

I often find those who criticise our hospitals and the staff who work within them are ones who, luckily, have not needed to receive treatment. But I have - and I could not be more grateful.  I am very proud of our NHS and I would like to thank all of the wonderful staff who look after us, and our families, when we need care and attention. I hope that in the next 60 years the NHS will continue to go from strength to strength.