AS the chairman of the community campaign against local fire service cuts, I couldn’t allow the letter you published from Sandwell Labour councillors and their parliamentary candidate to pass without comment.

I have seen how, unlike them, our MP James Morris has worked hard to protect our fire services, saying the same things in private as he does in public and hasn’t been afraid to break ranks with his own party to stand up for local services.

After being asked to support the West Midlands Fire Service’s position by the Chief Fire Officer, he stood up in Parliament and successfully argued for changes in local funding to be shared equally and fairly across all parts of the country – leaving the West Midlands better off than under the old system.

The Labour candidate may not be aware, as she was still living in London at the time, but her Labour colleagues on the Fire Authority forced through the cut in the number of fire engines serving Halesowen and Rowley Regis.

Every single one of them voted for the reduction.

If only we had more representatives like James Morris working for our community instead of making silly political attacks.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Billingham