ONCE again we see the Liberal Democrats in the form of Mr Rock jumping on the Tory bandwagon, and playing personal politics by attacking Ruth Kelly -- what a sad bunch they are.

As their popularity plunges to a pathetic 12 per cent in the opinion polls, it is no small wonder that they want us to believe they are more significant than they really are. Yes they do well in council elections, but that is always on low turnouts and after they have promised the world. When they achieve power as they did in Westhoughton, they do very little except increase the tax burden and let people down badly.

With regard to Ruth Kelly, I have written to her on many occasions and received prompt replies, and have been to see her on three separate occasions at Horwich Public Hall about some problems I had. These were all resolved with her help. Her surgeries are regularly advertised in the local press, so if Mr Rock is saying he can never get hold of her, then I question how hard he has tried. In reality he probably hasn't ever tried, and is simply resorting to cheap, gutter tactics as a means of raising either his own profile ahead of next year's local elections, or his political masters.

In fact I seem to remember a letter from him a couple of years ago calling for the Fort James/Tesco deal to succeed. Well, I know for a fact that Ruth Kelly helped ensure this did succeed, making more of a mockery his claim that she is only interested in London.

His party really must be at particularly low ebb if they think they will win votes by mimicking the now discredited Conservative Party.

J Roberts

Chorley New Road

Horwich, Bolton