Sir – The story on council budget cuts was depressing (Craven Herald, December 24).

However, your readers shouldn’t be fooled that this is being done to save the country money. If the Conservatives were so desperate to reduce the defecit, why will borrowing over this five-year Parliament exceed the borrowing of the previous 13 years under Labour?

The cuts are ideological, nothing more, and part of the ‘protect the rich while cutting services for the poor’ culture.

Mr B Hayes, Keighley