Could I caution your readers against munching their cornflakes and reading Our Glorious Leader’s latest missive at the same time? Anyone who has been caught in a moment of hilarity whilst eating will know what I mean.

Our leader says he can “ensure developments happen in parts of the town where it is most sustainable”. Coate or Croft perhaps? Cornflakes everywhere, the cat exiting the cat flap in a high speed panic. Really Adver, please warn us that this piece may contain moments of unintended hilarity.

“Having the local council with democratically elected councillors managing the process we can best ensure all relevant concerns are taken into account.” Oh my aching ribs!

I haven’t laughed so much since reading another Goon’s war memoirs and have been praying for a replacement.

Until now no one else has been able to take reality and then twist it into such a surreal and fantastic universe to such wonderful comedic effect. At last our wait is over, a new star is revealed in all their shimmering glory.

Step forward Rod Bluh, your time has come.

Perhaps I do them a disservice, perhaps it is not comedy at all, but a bunch of half truths, a selection of the more choice morsels from a platter of all the facts, that constitute the selective amnesia of the political slogan.

It is the standard of honesty of the political classes, much less than the gold standard of the courts, “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, which is what we should deserve. It is the twisting of the arm of honesty behind its back to their bidding, via the misuse of process and the saying of one thing then doing another.

Anyone still laughing?

Guy Green Old Town Swindon

...Short sighted

In his latest pronouncement, Council Leader Rod Bluh suggests that people do not want to talk about the ‘need for housing’.

That he makes such a silly statement confirms his own myopic view.

The fact is that every opponent of the Pickards Field development recognised the good intent behind the project, which was to build houses, unlike Cllr Bluh, they also offered other options, the most obvious being to encourage developers to move to the Wichelstowe site where building has stagnated, but where infrastructure is in place.

If Cllr Bluh believes his own rhetoric, I suggest he initiates further development at Wichelstowe which will do the two things he claims to be concerned about – new homes and new jobs.

The issue of the £1m of grant money from the HAC is quite interesting and suggests that developers such as Haboakus are motivated by greed rather than need.

I suppose we will never know why the contract formalising the disposal of the land wasn’t signed at the end of March, if that was indeed when it was supposed to have been confirmed.

Such secrets are the stuff of this council.

Des Morgan Caraway Drive Swindon

...Now listen

I look forward to seeing how the legitimate request for a review on the Croft is received and carried out if trust is to be rebuilt in any way.

As someone who was in the same radio interview with Cllr Renard when he said that in his opinion he “couldn’t see what could have been done differently” on the Croft, I am sorry to read that months later, despite the clear message being sent by many hundreds of people, it appears to have made so little impact on his understanding of the fullness of this situation.

As lead member for education, surely every opportunity for learning should be seized, particularly when it falls within an area of your own accountability.

I am surprised that Cllr Renard believes that the need for a school in this location is undisputed and I trust that he understands the breadth of the issues. For the good of all, I really hope that people from all parties take this as a genuine opportunity to reflect, listen and learn so that moving forwards is possible, for the good of everyone.

Carole Bent Old Town Swindon

...History repeat

Is it my imagination or has anyone else noticed the connection between Swindon and “Groundhog Day” apart from the porcine correlation?

As you recall in Groundhog Day, certain events were repeated daily, ad nauseum. Is it possible that the author got his inspiration by residing in Swindon, as it appears to be happening here a lot viz: repetitive subjects such as Coate, Croft, Locarno, Mechanic’s Institute, Tadpole Lane and Pickards Field, etc.

Big Ron Penhill Drive Swindon

Cutting criticism

I really couldn’t believe the headline you carried recently, “Care for the elderly or cut the grass?” My heart really does bleed for the current Tory Council in Swindon as they try to cut £15m from the budget that they will impose upon themselves.

I was a member of Thamesdown Borough Council in the late 1980s/early 1990s when local government was under attack from the Conservatives led by Mrs Thatcher. Due to their mantra “private good, public bad” they imposed rate capping. Consequently, we had to make choices that we didn’t want to.

This is a completely different situation that today’s council faces; they have actively supported the cuts by the government and campaigned for a reduction in the ability to provide local services, not least by sacking 1,500 workers.

The so called Council Tax Freeze is incorrect. Due to inflation and the public’s demand for improved provision, the real cost of the services provided by the council is increasing. To not charge more for them is, as any small business will tell you, a recipe for bankruptcy.

After the last lot of financial pressure from Mrs Thatcher, local government was in such a position. It was broke, hence the increase in council tax in the late 1990s advocated by all parties. I am afraid to say that we are rapidly approaching a similar scenario where, without sensible increases, services will collapse under Mr Cameron.

So, the local Tories are actively supporting a situation where local services are to be cut, eventually leading to the abandonment of many such practises. I doubt if many of the councillors see themselves as pawns in a game of “small Government is best Government”, with those in Whitehall pulling the strings.

These cuts will make their election pledges, so well displayed in this newspaper, seem rather hollow. Some may quit in protest.

Bob Pixton Sedgebrook Swindon

What a LIFT

Many congratulations to Sandra Hunter who has improved her diabetes by losing weight (Adver June 15).

It is not easy to do especially once you are on insulin. Your readers may also be interested in a programme which is about to be run locally to see if a very low calorie diet (VLCD) can reverse diabetes in more recently diagnosed patients.

Patients registered with a Swindon GP who have had type 2 diabetes for less than four years who are on diet or Metformin tablets only but whose BMI is over 30 could be referred to the LIFT team for NHS funded VLCD. There are some medical contraindications that the GP or the team will need to assess, but it offers some hope of avoiding long term treatment with tablets or injections.

Eric Holliday, GP Eldene Surgery Swindon

School thanks

As musical director of the production of The Wizard of Oz at the Wyvern, which starts tomorrow, I’d like to thank everyone who has given their time, energy and support since rehearsals began in February.

The Estelle School of Dance was founded by my mother, Pat Bennett, over 50 years ago and to this day teaches all classes herself, and produces a full scale musical every other year.

My father was MD for many years until I inherited the baton but remains very busy with admin, making props for the show and wise words of experience for which I am grateful! The Estelle shows always raise funds for charity and this year’s is no exception. I am truly humbled by the efforts of the dancers, adult cast and families in fundraising for the Thamesdown Hydrotherapy Pool. There are too many people to name, but I must thank Trish Daniels and her fantastic fundraising committee.

It just leaves me to thank my fabulous musicians, everyone involved on stage and behind the scenes. Good luck and enjoy the show!

Jen Bamford Cumberland Road Swindon

Kindness shown

I would like to express my gratitude to the kind person who found my handbag in a trolley at Sainsburys, Royal Wootton Bassett, and handed it in.

Earlier in the week, someone had fraudulently used my identity in a scam, and it is good to know there are kind and honest people out there as well. Many thanks. Brenda Doré Wroughton Swindon