THE Conservative group on Herefordshire Council has a huge task ahead.

Their Leader, Roger Phillips, for whom I have every respect and with whom I worked well, has the ability to do it, but whether he has the support and talents he needs in his group only time will tell. I do not envy him the task.

Yes, of course, I am disappointed to have lost my seat, and would be a liar to say otherwise.

As a past and recently retired chairman of Herefordshire Council used to say, of the mother to the baby whale: "Remember it is only when you come to the surface to spout that you get harpooned!"

I surfaced, I spouted and I got harpooned, but it is a small sacrifice to pay for contributing to the success in toppling seven Liberal Democrats and breaking the Lib-Dem stranglehold on Hereford City Council, for that is what it was, a stranglehold.

I am proud I succeeded in getting the people of Hereford City and the county to listen and consider what actually was going on.

Hereford, in the past, has been a great city; the evidence is there for all to see. It has the potential, after years of decline, to become great again. I implore the two new councils to grasp the challenge but concessions on both sides are needed.

Instead of having the entrenched view of the city council, of "how can we stop this", to adopt the positive view of "how can we, together, take this project forward to great ends?"

There are now dedicated and enthusiastic councillors available in the city: get behind them and move forward.

To the whingers and whiners, and there were many on the letters page, get out and do something positive about it. Keep on to your local councillor and make sure he or she is doing the tasks that you elected them for. They volunteered, see that you keep them to their promises.

I would like to thank all members of the past administration and those members of the Labour Party, for their support and cooperation during the last four years. It has been a privilege to represent and work for Hagley ward. I wish the new council the best of luck and hope my successor knows what he let himself in for.

Mike Wilson, Lumber Lane, Lugwardine.