I read with some concern your leader comment (TES, September 13) that the support for Liberal Democrat policies revealed by your survey of headteachers is based on “more wishful thinking”. We are not yet the national government but Liberal Democrats have power or influence on many local education authorities. I chair Gloucestershire local education authority and I am working to implement Liberal Democrat policies locally as we have done in the past. Within the arbitrary restraints imposed by central government, we do maximise spending on schools and we do spend up to the limit and, so far, local voters have supported us.

I suggest that headteachers’ support for our approach is based on experience.

JOHN HOWE

Liberal Democrat education spokesman

Gloucestershire County Council

Frampton-on-Severn

Gloucestershire