n JEAN Jessop (You Say, April 10) endeavours to explain how this Labour government is introducing further stealth taxes on to the public by reducing funding to local councils.

Councillor Adrian Hardman (You Say, April 11) confirms this, but it is Councillor Andrew Roberts (You Say, Friday, March 21) who comes out with it.

He says the £13m increase in local tax, equivalent to nine per cent of the current increase in council tax is to pay Government Resource Equalisation Tax. The what? You may well ask, I have never heard of this before, have you?

Is this the first year such a tax has been introduced - although apparently not imposed on every council. What government legislation passed by our parliament (not EU) covers the imposition of such a tax?

Must it be budgeted for every year? Most importantly of all, is it legal? Can someone please advise.

JOHN TAINTON, UK Independence Party.