I STOOD for council as Lib Dem candidate for Redvales ward and the recount of votes was barely completed before the Health Secretary was vowing to win MPs' support for the NHS reforms.

This is "Blairspeak" for full steam ahead for privatisation. It indicates that the Government learned nothing from the electoral "bloody nose" it received from Bury voters. Even Maggie Thatcher tried and failed to privatise the NHS.

Bury has lost Bury General already under this government and are threatened with the loss of Fairfield Hospital. I spent half my adult life with private health in the US and have been in Fairfield three times in the last five years. I don't want private medicine in my adopted country, nor do the vast majority of voters.

Was it after the last budget, or the one before, that the City were recommending investing in private medicine? Financial experts knew where Blair was heading.

Let this be public notice to our two MPs, David Chaytor and Ivan Lewis, that if they vote for "reform", the reaction of the voters in the next General Election will be to make that "bloody nose" look like complete facial surgery.

As a political unknown, in a strong Labour ward, I got 986 votes. I didn't win a seat but I only missed by 192 votes. Privatise the NHS and I'm a shoe-in next time. Get the message, Tony, David and Ivan?

Perhaps the two MPs could tell readers exactly what their position is on the future of the NHS and privatisation.

BILL BRISON,

Scott Avenue, Bury.