SOME people have said to me the AIR Festival is the Labour group's ''bus pass'' but in reality, it is not.

It is the single largest indication the controlling Labour group has no overall strategic plan for the future of the town.

The Conservative group were deeply criticised over their decision to remove the concessionary fare system and paid for it at the poll in 2004.

However unpopular this issue was, I respected the Tories firstly for forming a policy to improve local transport and secondly for having the guts to implement it.

So what went wrong? Firstly, the largest group of people the policy initially affected also happened to be the same people you can guarantee will always turn out to vote.

Secondly, the Labour group decided to pounce on the opportunity to capitalise on a single issue, normally associated with independent candidates, on the basis it was representing public opinion.

Last but not least, the Conservatives failed to communicate to the electorate their wider aim, which was to improve public transport for all.

Considering the total annual budget Redditch Council has to spend, I found it an insult they were prepared to waste over half a million pounds on an arts festival that lasted less than a week in real terms.

Sure, the street entertainment was great and yes, the free concerts were an inspiration but was it the right decision for our young people?

The short answer is NO. Just imagine how many youth workers, centres and other voluntary organisations we could have funded with this money.

Redditch has a large young population that we cannot continue to ignore or they will become disconnected from us and turn to other, less favourable activities.

We live in an age where school discipline is at an all time low and fear of crime is at an all time high.

This is not statistics I'm quoting, simply what people said to me on the doorstep this year.

If it wasn't a pensioner complaining about being harassed by groups of young people in Winyates it was a parent in Church Hill complaining there was nothing for the kids to do.

I assume the elected councillors who canvassed in the town before the election last year had exactly the same feedback?

So how on earth did we end up blowing the money on the AIR Festival when it should have been invested in a long-term youth policy that could have made a difference?

The AIR Festival should not be underestimated in terms of its political impact as it represents a gross mismanagement of public money and a complete lack of vision in terms of where it should be spent.

PAUL SWANSBOROUGH

Borough and county council candidate

Sutton Close

Winyates West