SIR – Cllr Andrew Thornton suggests I am voicing ill-informed opinions about our swimming pools (Letters, January 17). Well, I need to inform Mr Thornton that I’m not some Johnny-come-lately in the pool, I’ve been campaigning to save our local swimming pools for many years.

Mr Thornton claims that somehow spending £41 million on new swimming pools is somehow going to save taxpayers some money, of course in Labour doublespeak spending money means saving money. I also notice that Mr Thornton didn’t bother to answer my question of why we are spending tens of millions on new swimming pools when we are cutting essential services.

Isn’t it time we took decisions of this nature out of the hands of councillors and into the hands of local people as the ‘Labour knows best’ policy just isn’t working for Bradford.

Jason Smith, UKIP Parliamentary Candidate Bradford South, Woodlands Avenue, Queensbury, Bradford