Keith Mitchell is continuing deliberately to mislead the people of Oxfordshire about the cause of the national budget deficit (aided and abetted by the Lib Dems).

Most of the deficit is a result of the need to bail out the greedy banks – which his Tory government has still done precious little to bring under control.

As others of your correspondents have said, the cuts have nothing to do with the deficit, but are being made for ideological reasons: many Tories are in love with the private sector (eg the banks!) and distrust state-run institutions – even our wonderful public libraries and our vital youth service. To sack hundreds of trained professional staff and expect volunteers to run them is doctrinaire idiocy. We should do all we can to oppose it.

Susanna Pressel Labour Group spokesperson on Libraries and Museums Oxfordshire County Council