COUNCILLOR Harry Smith trots out the usual Wirral Labour Party line that the council's budget woes are entirely the result of the Government's austerity measures – forced upon them after the last Labour Government crashed the economy (Globe Mailbox, February 4).

Unfortunately, his argument was undermined by the council’s own budget consultation, which was a little bit more honest in its description of where the £27.5m budget gap has come from.

In the What Really Matters section headed “Your Budget Explained”, the chief executive told residents that "due to a series of factors including bad financial management on our part, we have to correct our budgets for social care for adults and children – that will cost £14m".

This accounts for half of the budget reductions required for 2014/15.

But of course, as Cllr Smith knows, it's so much easier to ignore inconvenient facts.

Allan Brame, Oxton