As I near the end of my four years as a councillor for Park Street, I have been reflecting on the constant bad news we keep getting regarding the railfreight.

As your readers may be aware, last year I took one of the most difficult decisions of my short political career to resign from the excellent Conservative Group in Council in protest at the Coalition government’s decision to grant approval, despite such local antipathy.

At the time, I also called on my Liberal Democrat ward colleagues to do likewise. However, they wish to have their slice of railfreight cake and eat it too, as they disingenuously deny that the Lib Dems have any role in Government or any influence, while simultaneously taking credit for everything good that comes out.

Lib Dem Norman Baker MP was the transport minister from 2010 to 2013 but failed to issue even one communication supporting St Albans’ stance. Baroness Kramer, Lib Dem Minister for Transport, 2013-present, visited our (still) fair city last year, but her silence regarding the railfreight was deafening – indeed a cursory look through her political speeches shows an appetite for more railfreight in the UK.

So following the rejection of our appeal to the High Court in February (which to my knowledge no Lib Dem attended), I call again on councillors Aislinn Lee and David Yates to resign their party and show they are not monkeys to their political masters.

Councillor Steve Bowes-Phipps

Independent, Park Street ward St Albans District Council