During the run up to the last Forest of Dean District Council elections, the then Conservative Leader, Marion Winship, held out the prospect of a reduced council tax for OAPs.
Since gaining overall control of the council, the Conservatives have conveniently forgotten this aspiration.
Indeed, they are now considering in their draft budget proposals, the withholding of free travel tokens for OAPs. These tokens, an alternative to a free bus pass, are mostly used by those OAPs who do not have easy access to a bus route or are too frail to use service buses.
Bruce Hogan (Labour and Co-operative councillor Lydbrook and Ruardean Labour Party PPC Forest of Dean).