LORD Teverson (letter, November 18) attacks Graham Facks-Martin's letter of November 13 on Cornwall Council's financial state.

The case made by the old Lib-Dem county council for a unitary council was based on cost savings made by the amalgamation of the old district and county councils. This involved substantial reorganisation, with associated start-up costs.

If the savings are not yet being achieved, could it be that the start-up costs were grossly understated by the Lib-Dems?

Several sources have also said that the old Lib-Dem council has saddled the new Cornwall Council with a huge "black hole" of debt.

On June 4 the Conservatives were voted in to control Cornwall Council. They did not "take it over", as Lord Teverson suggested. And he made a mistake in omitting the amount of debt ratepayers now have to repay, saying a financial "health check" document gave the thumbs-up to the county's finances in June and inferring that the present financial problems are due to Conservative loss of financial control. Nonsense!

The UK has been in recession for 18 months and the Cornwall Conservatives are censured for doing nothing about it in their five and a half months of coping with a new organisation and its financial state. One wonders what the Lib-Dems did to solve the financial and recession problems when in control.

Lord Teverson should stick to facts and figures, not blow a smokescreen over the affairs of the unfortunate previous council by attacking the new.

Mev Shelley

St Tudy

Change of tune

READING Graham Facks-Martin's response to Lord (Robin) Teverson about Cornwall Council's budget (letter, November 27) I am reminded that only quite recently he had been relatively complimentary about County Hall's Liberal Democrats.

Speaking as retiring chairman at North Cornwall District Council's annual and final dinner in March, he repeated observations previously made in council that leading Lib-Dem councillors were infinitely more competent than any of the Independents or Tories. Since then Alec Robertson's coalition has set about proving him right.

They won't limit spending on councillors' allowances and prefer weasel environmental words to taking significant action.

They have spun misinformation about this year's budget deficit when they knew or ought to have known that treasury staff had already done the work to bring this into line.

They are well behind the game in announcing plans for next year's budget. Well-placed rumours suggest the Independents are fighting a desperate rearguard action to save at least some of the front-line services the Tories want to axe.

So maybe Robin and Graham are, in their own ways, both correct. The Lib-Dem financial legacy (£15 million extra this year) to Cornwall Council is being squandered, and Graham was on the money in his observations earlier this year.

Councillor Ann Kerridge

Bodmin

Cut out the pop

WHAT the hell is Radio Devon up to yet again? First Graham Danton gets the chop; now it's David Lowe on Saturday evenings – both fantastic presenters with "decent" music the older generation enjoy.

I'd like to know how many under 35s are likely to stay home of a Saturday night especially to tune into the radio. Radio Devon thinks the oldies are getting a good deal with just a two-hour slot on a Sunday evening – very accommodating I'm sure.

What they want to remember is that a great many "oldies" fought in the war to give them a life – so please remember us now, be a little considerate, leave "our" programmes alone and cut out much of the pop rubbish instead.

We too pay a licence, and deserve better.

Rosemary Blackburn

Truro

Saintly evidence

PETROC James (letter, November 17) says St Petroc is Cornish, but any book on Celtic saints reveals he was Welsh.

St Petroc has an authenticated written history, unlike some other saints, including Piran, whose name seems to be confused with other Irish saints.

There is no positive evidence of the existence of Piran, other than place names, mostly in mid-west Cornwall. In fact there is more evidence of the existence of St Mabyn – we even know the name of her father, Brychan – than there is of Piran.

As Petroc is so proud of his Welsh name I will be pleased to send him a guide to our parish church of St Petroc in Bodmin, which includes a potted history of our patron saint.

John A Blake

Bodmin

Containers are useful

REGARDING Rosemary Speare's "Wasted containers" letter (November 28), I totally disagree with her.

I do not waste food, but I am pleased with my little box, and so are my friends who have them. I live in an upstairs flat, and when the lid is on there is no smell.

She says she has plenty of junk about – get that to the charity shops if it is worth anything.

Ruth Down

Okehampton

Pleased but puzzled

SO very pleased to read of the award of the Military Cross to Kate Nesbitt, but somewhat puzzled that she wasn't awarded the Naval Cross (DSC).

Can't be many Navy folk who have been so honoured.

Dennis Till

Member, Chard Branch Royal Naval Association