BY THE EDITOR AN astonishing outpouring of anger greeted the news that the thoroughly disgraced Learning and Skills Council has been forced to call a halt to the new March campus of the College of west Anglia. NEVER mind that some people in Wisbech might

BY THE EDITOR

AN astonishing outpouring of anger greeted the news that the thoroughly disgraced Learning and Skills Council has been forced to call a halt to the new March campus of the College of west Anglia.

NEVER mind that some people in Wisbech might be quite glad since they never wanted it to move in the first place but that's an argument confined to history and not worthy of further comment.

The sad truth is that this Government has, through an extraordinary set of botched funding proposals, sent shock waves through the Fenland community with its 11th hour withdrawal of funding.

Contracts may well have been awarded but that counts for little if the money is not there to pay for it.

How amazing that a Prime Minister now on a whistle stop tour of the Globe to sell his financial acumen in solving the world's economic crisis, should be found so wanting so much closer to home.

We look forward to lecturing and hectoring him in coming weeks as the wrath of the Fenland people is well and truly unleashed.

We accept the country's finances are in a mess but the debacle that now is the Learning and Skills Council cannot blame that for the diabolical financial conundrum they have landed us in.

Yes the head of the council has quit, but perhaps that's not enough.

What's needed is a clear commitment from Gordon Brown and his ministerial advisers that Fenland will get the college is needs, the college it deserves and the college that is fundamental to spearheading the drive in this region to improved prospects.

We have been the poor relations for too long.

They will not get away with postponing for too long our new campus.

Nothing short of an early release of funds will do.

An apology, though nice, is not expected.