THOUGH the long-term aim of the Tunnel Users is to have the tolls scrapped, our short term aim has been to stop Merseytravel taking one third of the tolls to spend on their other schemes.

In the mayoral election Steve Rotheram for Labour said that the tolls were a barrier but the only thing that he planned was a small reduction in the tag tolls, leaving other car drivers paying £1.70.

There were only two mayoral candidates that looked as if they would do something serious about the tolls.

They were the UKIP and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates who only came in fourth and sixth amongst Wirral voters.

More than 90% of voters in Wirral opted for the candidates most unlikely to stop the profiteering.

We will be having another vote soon because of the general election, though the only Wirral seat where the result is not almost a foregone conclusion is Wirral West.

The sitting Labour MP for Wirral West has taken little interest in the tolls and her main opposition is a Conservative – who has taken even less interest.

Will Wirral voters this time hold all the candidates' feet to the fire over the tunnel tolls issue?

Or will we have another example of the turkeys voting to keep Christmas?

John McGoldrick, Mersey Tunnels Users Association.