ONCE again I refer to a letter from Martin Kyrle (Daily Echo, November 21) claiming my comments on council tax are not true.

He goes on to say the borough’s head of finance gave him a breakdown of council tax throughout Hampshire, which reads quite well.

However, from the evidence provided he has chosen to highlight the last three years when the stealth taxes via the parish councils replaced the increases on basic council tax which government policy dictated were to be frozen.

To obtain his better figures he states: “If parish precepts and special expenses are omitted.” I therefore rest my case.

The only information we have is given by the two sections of the Lib Dem administration with a vested interest, the civil service and the political.

Martin Kyrle can offer his interpretation but has he the right to say I’m making false statements?

I have never said Eastleigh is the most expensive – what I have asked is why residents have been paying more than other local councils.

When I first challenged Keith House in 2007/8 on his claim of one per cent below inflation the policy had been in place for three or four years and he was claiming this was the lowest increase in the country in monetary terms.

Several other local councils were charging less. What he failed to tell us was between 2001 and 2004 council tax was increased by 18.2 per cent, when inflation was running at 7.2 per cent.

In my opinion this claim of one per cent below inflation is designed to give the impression we are paying less tax; in other words, political spin.

KEN WELLSTOOD, Eastleigh.