ON the subject of regional assemblies, once again we see the Tories opposing necessary change and modernisation.

Tories are the great centralisers, directing everything to London and the South at the expense of 90 per cent of the rest of us. We saw that, when Mrs Thatcher denuded the regions and created millions of unemployed without any adequate re-training policy.

If Tory councillors would only lift their eyes above the the Bury parapet, they will see that German and French regional assemblies actually stop finance and labour migrating to the capital where most of the national income is then used to maximise the capital's power on international finance markets.

J. HOLDEN,

St. Paul's Street,

Ramsbottom.