SIR – As a Liberal Democrat councillor in Bradford, I give my full support to Vince Cable in his efforts to preserve as much as possible of Yorkshire Forward, our regional development agency. In recent years, Yorkshire Forward has raised its game (from shaky beginnings perhaps) to deliver very good support to regeneration in Yorkshire and Humberside. Parts of West Yorkshire (including the centre of Bradford, with which I am very familiar) need an active regional policy in order to counteract market failure.
It is regrettable that Vince Cable is having to battle with the arch-Thatcherite Eric Pickles in order to retain any semblance of Government commitment.
Of course, residents of Bradford have long memories of Mr Pickles in Bradford.
As a councillor and leader of the controlling Conservative group here, he was responsible for vandalising local government services, stripping out spending in order to reduce the local tax burden.
The Bradford local economy has never fully recovered and is even less likely to do so in future unless the coalition listens more to Vince and less to Eric.
John Cole (Lib Dem, Baildon), Oakroyd Terrace, Baildon
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