Putting your money where their mouth is, the ad extols the virtues of the congestion charge and then goes on to reassure the viewer with a promise of a public consultation on the issue.

This propaganda is an absolute disgrace and should be illegal. The congestion charge proposals are a political issue and as such public money should not be used to fund television advertising in an attempt to change the minds of sceptical voters.

This is yet another example of a deeply unpopular government that will do anything to get its own way including bribery, bulling and spin as witnessed in the recent debates about 42 day detention and the European treaty.

The congestion charge is part of Labour's green strategy, a strategy which has involved Gordon Brown ramping-up taxes on fuel and introducing new taxes on flying, pricing the poor off the road and depriving them of a week in the sun in the virtuous cause of the environment.

The hypocrisy of Gordon Brown knows no bounds; he is just back from Saudi Arabia after a failed attempt to persuade OPEC to increase oil output which would have spewed millions of extra tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

I am certain that Mr Brown will, as usual, continue to receive the full backing of our local MP Mr Levitt; the man who recently advocated a congestion charge for the Peak District and in doing so demonstrated that he is as out of touch with his constituents as the government is with the people of this country.

Neal Johnston
Brierley Green
Buxworth