Dear Sir or Madam,

   I am concerned with the recent release of the office of fair tradings index of poverty in the north west. There have been plenty of other articles on the same matter with the majority concerning child poverty. All the articles make for bad reading, Burnley is rated 4th on the Index for the north west region with 29%; marginally behind Liverpool topping the list on 33%.

It really does beggar belief that our MP, Gordon Birtwistle has voted in the House of Commons to support the Tories reorganisation of the NHS.  This is the biggest reorganisation in the history of the NHS and is in itself going to cost a staggering 3 billion pound.

After reading our Lib Dem MPs 'Westminster Week' dated 16/09/11, I feel very strongly that I should be allowed to make comment on his actions in the Health and Social Care Bill. He has now shown his true colours on this issue; and he should hang his head in shame.

LANCASHIRE Labour has launched a campaign highlighting the short sighted bus cuts that threaten to disrupt young people’s return to school.

Tory-led Lancashire County Council has cut £829,000 from this year’s transport budget with more than 330,000 bus journeys per year axed across Lancashire. So far 16 local and school bus routes have been scrapped, in addition to fares increases on many routes. 

School pupils have been left without buses in Nelson and Burnley, as the 978 and 897 Sir John Thursby services are cut; as well as the 834 in Chorley which runs to Lostock Hall High School in South Ribble.

Read the full story here