HAD the Conservatives won the election of 1997 and not Labour, they would have continued with the introduction of the voucher system they had evolved for education.

This which would have given money to those already wealthy parents to subsidise their children's private education by reducing the amount available for the rest of our children.

How insulting of Karen Lumley (Letters, May 28) to suggest the Labour Party are making more children pay for their education.

She implies this by using a solitary subject, music, and a single example, one child, to judge a party that has vastly increased spending on education in a fair and sensible way and by far more than would ever have been the case under the Tories.

Both she and her new Council Leader, Gavin Smithers, now have a perfect chance to show us all their political prowess by delivering meaningful and inspired public spending at borough level just as their manifesto promised.

Gavin and Karen will also have a chance to empower us all and to give us all the chance to share in the democratic decision-making process, again, just as they promised in their manifesto and Gavin's post-election speech at the town hall.

Robin King

Huband Close

Redditch