IT seems that our resident bandwagon hopper James Stevens, the Tory candidate ,has put his foot in his mouth again and complained about the Bolton Council finance settlement despite the fact that, if elected, he would be part of a Tory government that would cut it savagely to fund £16 billion of spending cuts.

A recent correspondent questioned whether the Labour Party or Liberals had selected this man and I must agree.

Surely, with all the quality candidates about local Tories could have come up with someone better?

Take John Walsh for instance - a man with great experience and who I am sure would not jump around calling for toilets to be closed, cannabis to be legalised and the possibility of brothels to be "debated". I don't read the Bury newspapers but I would bet my mortgage that he hasn't.

I remember before the last election Tom Sackville MP wrecked a Private Members Bill which would have given pensioners a cold weather payment. The next week he called for more help for pensioners in winter and hoped voters wouldn't notice!!

James Stevens was his agent then and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the man behind that spectacular own goal.

Andrew Grade

Lightbounds Road

Johnson Fold

Bolton