I would like to comment on an issue which has reared its head in the past few months, namely the retention of the part-time firemen in Lancaster.

I don't think you would find anybody in the area who wasn't for retaining the part-time firemen, whose jobs we have recently heard, are to be be axed. As always it seems the whole thing is down to cost... everybody would like to keep the firemen but we just can't pay for them, but we can. How I hear you ask? Quite simple really, take the recent increases in city councillors' allowances and use those to offset the cost of retaining the firemen. All right I know it won't pay for them indefinitely but it would enable the firemen to be retained for at least a year and then the situation could be reviewed again and a year is a long time in local government! You never know maybe the financial situation will improve. Some may say this is a county council problem and they're right but at the same time, county can't solve it so, as human beings, it becomes our problem. It is our loved ones who may die as a direct result of this appalling decision. So before it is swept neatly under the carpet. Let's look at the possible other solutions that need to be found.

Before anybody accuses me of electioneering I would like to say that this idea cuts right across politics. I'm talking about every councillor surrendering their allowance increase, the £500 increase it seems some councillors didn't want anyway (publicly). A total of around £30,000, for one year, that's all.

Would I do it if I was elected? Yes I most certainly because I believe the fire fighters are worth keeping and if they save just one life in that year it would have been worth it wouldn't it? Let's see more action and less talk.

Nick Westwell

MBI candidate

Harbour Ward

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