Mystery surrounds leading Lib Dem's 'resignation' letter

MYSTERY surrounds a forged letter which supposedly announced the shock resignation of a leading member of the Liberal Democrat party in Cornwall.

The Cornish Guardian received a letter which claimed to come from Bob Egerton, treasurer of Cornwall Lib Dems and of Truro and St Austell MP Matthew Taylor's constituency party.

It said Mr Egerton had resigned because of major clashes over the future of Newquay Airport. In particular the forger said claims about its economic benefits "are a total fantasy" and conflict with national concerns about climate change and peak oil.

Mr Egerton has denied sending the letter, which may have been designed to cause maximum embarrassment for Mr Egerton, Matthew Taylor and Cornwall's Lib Dems, as well as for Mr Egerton's wife, Annette. She is the Lib Dem leader of Restormel Borough Council, a prominent member of Cornwall County Council, and a member of the new unitary authority's implementation executive.

Mr Egerton is no stranger to the media, having been dubbed Bob the Bankbuster after launching a national campaign championing the rights of people who have had to pay penalty bank charges.

However, he says he is very unhappy about this latest spot in the limelight, and says the sentiments of the letter correspond to a private e-mail he recently sent to colleagues in the local party. Mr Egerton would not confirm whether or not he had resigned. The forged letter ridicules claims in the Lib Dem members' newsletter that the airport has created 3,500 jobs.

It concludes: "With oil prices stubbornly staying at more than $100 per barrel, with a looming recession, with second home owners dumping their houses in Cornwall, with airlines cutting routes and laying-up aircraft, with airlines going bust, with a subsidy of at least £4 million this year, who really believes that a tinpot little airfield in Cornwall is ever going to be economically viable?"

Mr Egerton said: "The letter has clearly been sent to the St Austell Guardian maliciously. Some of its text has been taken from an e-mail I did send which was intended for people within the party, but I am not happy that it has been made public.

"The sentiments it expresses are not false and it's true that I am not an active supporter of the party locally because of my concerns about Newquay Airport. But my concerns are about the specific policy being followed by a few people within the party. I certainly have no problems with Restormel Borough Council. I can't understand why somebody would send such a letter."

Matthew Taylor heard about it while accompanying national party leader Nick Clegg on a visit to Cornwall.

He said: "Obviously Bob has worked very hard as a member of the Lib Dems over the years, but as an environmental campaigner he has concerns about the airport which are not shared by the party. I hope he will continue to support the party because we agree on almost all other issues."