KEITH Walters claims in his column that the Government s calculation of inflation was a masterly piece of hype, spin and marketing (Walters World, February 20). He is, of course, quite wrong about this. The inflation rate used by the Government corresp

KEITH Walters claims in his column that the Government's calculation of inflation was "a masterly piece of hype, spin and marketing" (Walters' World, February 20). He is, of course, quite wrong about this.

The inflation rate used by the Government corresponds to the CPI (the Consumer Price Index). It is worked out by an entirely independent body. This is also the inflation index used by all Western economies to measure their inflation rates.

Presumably Councillor Walters believes that the governments of France, Germany, the USA, Spain, Italy, Japan etc are all engaged in "hype, spin and marketing" when independent bodies work out their inflation rates. Quite a charge. Not for the first time, Councillor Walters has been caught talking absolute nonsense.

The five per cent rise in Council Tax, he tells us, has nothing to do with him - it is all the fault of the Government. This is also nonsense.

It is limited to five per cent only because, if he tried to raise it any more (which presumably in an ideal world he'd like to do), the Government would surcharge the councillors. It is in fact the Government that is keeping the Council Tax down. If Councillor Walters had his way, we'd be faced with a much bigger rise.

He also claims that the council must now "trim our forward plans". Of course what he meant to say is that the council is going to make massive cuts in spending that will affect the most vulnerable people in the county - such as disabled people, for instance.

In Walters' world everything is the fault of the Government, while the council is wonderful. Nobody actually believes this. Is it, for instance, the Government's fault that the council was awarded one star out of a possible three for its adult social care programme in a recent inspection?

The fact of the matter is that this awful council with its maximum Council Tax increases, poor services and complacent councillors should move out of its deluded world where everything is the fault of the Government and perhaps take note of the song by McFly - It's all about you.

BILL O'CONNOR

Chamberlain Way

St Neots