SIR,

People in Monmouth understandably are confused by those now standing as independents in the county council election.

Former councillors have presented themselves as victims, well they would, it muddies the picture and they want admiration of being councillors.

I ask electors to look at the record of the Conservative-led council. Despite Labour's Welsh Assembly receiving money for councils in Wales to freeze council taxes; that money has not been passed to councils.

Lib Dems want to introduce local income tax; that would increase your bills. Labour voted against freezing council tax.

Conservatives have frozen council tax, and promise the same next year, invested in schools, jobs, maintained services, opened new libraries.

In England the Conservative-led government is increasing resources in the NHS over the coming three years, but in Wales Labour are slashing NHS funding by half a billion pounds over the same period.

There are now 24 new cancer treatments that are not routinely available to patients in Wales but are prescribed in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Statistics show that one-in-four of us are affected, maybe a close family member, by cancer. Welsh Conservatives are committed to introduce a Cancer Drugs Fund in Wales.

It's your vote, be careful.

Roy Garner (Chairman, Monmouthshire Conservative Association)