Colchester Lib Dem MP Bob Russell seems to enjoy rewriting history and misrepresenting reality.

But his comments on the Firstsite building, the bus station and the Labour Party broke new ground, even for him.

Firstsite was not directly financed by the Labour Government.

The money came from Colchester Council (Lib Dem/Tory-run at the time), and Tory-controlled Essex County Council, plus the East of England Development Agency and the Arts Council.

The Labour group on Colchester Council was the only political group to oppose the Visual Arts Facility (Firstsite) and demand a referendum on its construction.

Lib Dem councillors voted for it and against the public having a say.

We have always been for the retention of a bus station in the town and now, thanks to Labour’s influence in the current administration at the town hall, it seems certain this will happen.

As for Firstsite, now it is open – despite being terribly late and way over budget – the Gazette is right that it will not be in Colchester’s interests for it to fail.

But it must portray itself as a community building open to all residents and not an exclusive venue for the arts elite.

Tim Young
Labour leader
Colchester Council
Mascot Square
Colchester