THE Portillistas in Bucks will be feeling sick after their crown prince was sensationally dumped from the race to be Tory leader.

David Lidington (Aylesbury), Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham), and John Bercow (Buckingham), all backed Portillo to the hilt. But accusations of plots against Hague coupled with a newspaper article declaring Lady Thatcher's support for their man, finished off Portillo's chances for good.

I can't say I particularly liked Portillo. His transformation from the hero of the hard right to social libertarian, always left you wondering what this chameleon would do if he ever got back into power. However, he should have had his chance to put his name to party members, alongside Duncan Smith and Clarke. The defeat of one vote could not have been any smaller. The jovial Mrs Gillan welcomed prospective Portillo voters to a room where the candidate made a last ditch effort to win support, but it was just not enough when the final numbers were announced.

This new way of conducting an election for the Tory leader was meant to make the party more democratic. By denying Portillo his chance, the leadership contest still looks like a closed shop. All successful politicians' careers end in defeat but the end of the crown prince came too early.

IT'S time to give more powers to our county council. And there is one very good reason for doing this. The Government continues to send wagon loads of animal remains from the foot and mouth disease into Bucks for disposal. The county council is powerless to stop this. Bucks managed to stay free of the epidemic so why does the new Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs want to bring the waste here? As deputy leader of the county council Bill Chapple says the disposal may not be risk free. If only the authority had the power to stop the wagon-trains coming into the county.

BUSINESS leaders are wrong to dismiss the fears of those against Central Railway's plan for a freight line through Bucks as displaying a NIMBY attitude. The implications of this scheme are far greater than they seem to realise. If it went ahead, large areas of the countryside in this county would be ruined. Does Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce realise alternative routes are being looked at that do not have such a huge impact on the landscape and on residents? The chamber's remarks are not very thoughtful and perhaps show they have a lack of expert knowledge on the subject.