IT must be that time of the year. Yes the local elections are getting close.

Why? Because of the numbers of signed and unsigned Tory letters in last week's newspapers.

However, as the ruling group we represent all our residents every day of the year and I wanted to respond to Coun Bob Bibby's letter (Conservatives put people first', Letters, March 9).

On education, I remember when the Labour party took control of the council from the Conservatives, they prided themselves on leaving a good Local Education Authority.

Many years on, under successive Labour councils, with the hard work of the headteachers, teachers and support staff, the education in this authority has moved on from being very good to the best metropolitan education authority in the country.

The Tories, by deciding to abstain on this issue and revisit any decisions made by the executive to reduce the number of secondary schools are now holding a sword of Damocles over all eight secondary schools and running away from acting responsibly and in the process failing all our pupils and future generations.

This new breed of Tory is more concerned in being opportunistic, populist and chasing votes than the continuation of the excellent standards this authority has set.

On the night of setting the budget, the Conservatives accused me of speaking in the past or about another Greater Manchester authority. I can only judge the Conservatives on the things they have done in the past, or other nearby Conservative authorities on what they are doing now.

The last time the Conservatives in Bury set the council tax it was 14.4 per cent, 10 per cent higher than this Labour council set this year.

Trafford Tory-controlled council set its council tax this year at five per cent, making big cuts in frontline services, including closing two day care centres for the elderly.

Finally, as Coun Bibby is well aware, it's not just the Tory group who want to see services retained at Fairfield Hospital, it is the whole council who are fighting the proposals from the Strategic Health Authority.

It is the council who have actively promoted the retention of services at Fairfield Hospital at various campaign meetings in order to maintain viable and effective secondary care facilities and services to local residents.

COUN WAYNE CAMPBELL Leader of the council