During the past few weeks there have been some very interesting letters published with regard to congestion charging, both for and against, and from councillors on all sides who are attempting to score points from each other.

However Cllr Williamson’s letter (December 3) and his attempt to ridicule Cllr Walsh was foolish in the extreme.

Cllr Walsh is 100 per cent correct in his view that motoring taxation is too high — why else do we have transport drivers blockading refinery depots, and convoys of motor cycles and cars protesting about fuel tax? As soon as Gordon Brown became Chancellor, he started a campaign to tax motorists off the roads.

Cllr Williamson stated the money will come from motor taxation. If this is correct why then is there a need for a congestion charge?

The truth is that the billions taken in motoring taxation from people visiting, working and living in and around Manchester have been wasted by this Labour Government on an illegal war in Iraq, Government quangos, 600,000 more employed in the Government sector and massive waste in the health service and education?

A congestion charge is a complete admission of failure by this Government to provide good transport facilities for Greater Manchester, despite having taken billions in motor taxation from this area. The Labour solution to congestion is just another tax.

Derek Coupe, Tarbet Drive, Bolton