Boris is right to withdraw funds for Rise Festival

Full marks to Mayor Boris Johnson for saving taxpayers money in these credit crunched times by withdrawing funding for the Rise Festival. If I actually thought Rise would promote equality or stop a single attack, I would support it. But Rise attracts v

Full marks to Mayor Boris Johnson for saving taxpayers' money in these credit crunched times by withdrawing funding for the Rise Festival. If I actually thought Rise would promote equality or stop a single attack, I would support it.

But Rise attracts very few non-white people, as the picture I attach shows. It's basically a party for white middle-class lefties who think that by eating curry goat in Finsbury Park whilst listening to the Black Eyed Peas, they are 'doing their bit' for community cohesion. What tripe! If Rise is to continue, it will have to be self-supporting and not rely on money from taxpayers, most of whom have no interest in attending.

Let the organisers seek sponsorship from commercial organisations or trade unions--or dare I suggest that they charge an entrance fee? Spending

public funds on these events cannot be justified. It may not be illegal, but it smacks of politicians using our money to reward their own supporters--Vote-Buying, in other words! We should all object just as much to this kind of thing as to MPs' inflated 'expenses' claims. They're all part of the same sleazy political culture in Britain, which Boris Johnson and David Cameron are determined to sweep away.

Yours faithfully,

Justin Hinchcliffe

Chairman, Tottenham Conservatives

1