I WAS the first elected Labour councillor in Millbrook, Southampton for nearly 20 years in 2010. We won the seat again this year.

One of the things which appalled me when meeting Millbrook residents before I was elected and since was the total lack of contact or concern shown by previous Tory and Lib Dem councillors.

The western part of the ward has not seen a non-Labour councillor for years, and many social and deprivation issues have not been addressed.

The council housing stock needs large investment and there are many issues of poverty, unemployment and severe social dysfunction.

I have looked at the Millbrook Conservatives’ website to see if they have learned lessons from their past mistakes but, unfortunately, they haven’t.

Their website makes no mention of any issues west of Tebourba Way, and they are still treating large areas of Millbrook ward as invisible.

The Tory candidate says he wants to help families in Millbrook, so I suggest he crosses the main road to see how the invisible people of Millbrook are suffering from his government’s policies and neglect.

COUNCILLOR DAVID FURNELL, Labour City Councillor for Millbrook.