I WAS intrigued by your front page story headlined “MPs urge Hambleton to ease burden on Libraries”, (D&S Times, Feb 24).

You report that two Conservative MPs hope that the Conservative-controlled district council can scrape together £10,000 to reduce business rates on libraries which the Conservative-controlled county council is transferring to volunteer groups to save money.

See what happens when you vote Conservative?

Well, I wish the MPs success in their efforts, and good luck to the volunteer groups preparing to run libraries in Hambleton and also in Richmondshire.

But I have to point out that the MPs are loyal supporters of the Conservative Government that has created this problem. Since 2010, the Government has pursued an ideologically-driven crusade against local government by cutting grants and forcing cuts in services – austerity by proxy.

So I hope that our local Conservative MPs will follow up their efforts on behalf of the libraries by urging their friend the Chancellor to stop, or better still reverse, the cuts in government grants to local authorities.

Then the authorities could stop cutting services, and – even more important than libraries – could properly fund social care.

If our MPs don’t succeed – or, more likely, don’t try because they agree with the doctrinaire persecution of local services – all is not lost.

The elections to North Yorkshire County Council are coming up in May. They are an opportunity for voters to reject the Conservatives who have tamely accepted the cuts in grants and implemented cuts in services.

A new county council of a different complexion could increase council tax to pay for the services that people need. Let’s see what happens when you don’t vote Conservative.

Fiona Yorke, Green Party Parliamentary candidate, Richmond constituency