It seems that Cllr Liz Brighouse (Oxford Mail, November 15) is as much in denial about the country’s financial position as her colleague, Cllr John Tanner.

The Conservative-run Oxfordshire County Council generally took what government grant the Labour Government offered while driving down year-on-year the increase in council tax it sought from Oxfordshire taxpayers.

Like the rest of the country, we did not know that Gordon Brown was financing every fourth pound of central government spending by borrowing.

Next year, and with the help of the coalition Government, we will set a zero council tax increase.

Cllr Brighouse also seems to have forgotten that we have not slavishly supported Labour spending plans. When the Labour Government told us we could borrow several million pounds to finance transport schemes but that our repayments would not be supported by government grant, we said ‘no thank you’ and had to axe several road schemes as a result.

We are all reaping the result of Gordon Brown’s profligacy when, from 2001 onwards, government revenues declined while government spending soared.

This was long before the banking crisis and the recession. We are paying the price for Gordon Brown piling more and more spending on the nation’s credit card year on year.

Keith R Mitchell, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, Oxford