Conservatives’ lurch to the Left leaves small businesses without an ally

SIR – We small business owners are facing the imposition of further “workers’ rights” for political expediency (Letters, May 16).

Many people running a small business will not be able to afford all these rights themselves. We certainly can’t afford to pay ourselves the equivalent of the Living Wage.

We need a new champion for small businesses to fill the void left by the Conservative Party. Peter Holland

West Tolgus, Cornwall

SIR – Like many Conservative voters, I am deeply concerned about the party’s lurch to the Left, particularly the view that government knows best.

For Brexit to be a success, any government will have to ensure that circumstances are right for the economy to thrive. The way to do this is through low taxation and deregulation. At the moment we seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Nick Hazelton

Poole, Dorset SIR – Theresa May’s intervention in the energy market (report, May 15) must include more than a price cap.

The next government should stop the “Big Six” energy companies from influencing the market in their favour. At present they are using the regulator, Ofgem, to impose harmful rulings against smaller electricity generators.

Small flexible energy generators like us are making energy cheaper for consumers, but the dominance of Big Six representation within Ofgem stifles competition. The regulator cannot work in the best interests of consumers when its current governance structures give large energy firms undue influence over regulation. Mark Draper

Chairman, Flexible Generation Group Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

SIR – My first vote was for Winston Churchill, and I have backed the Tories ever since. This time, however, I am finding it difficult to vote for anyone. Britain under Jeremy Corbyn would

be like Venezuela without the oil. Theresa May is a closet socialist, the Liberal Democrats are EU moles, Ukip is a rabble, and the Greens are mad. Peter Head

Hethersett, Norfolk

SIR – Labour says their manifesto would transform people’s lives.

I believe them. Harvey T Dearden

Llandudno, Conwy

SIR – I find it baffling that the parties of the Left talk about a “progressive alliance”. Since such an arrangement would take Britain back to the Seventies, a regressive alliance would be a far more appropriate epithet. Andrew Nicholas

Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire

SIR – We do not need a coalition of parties to act as an effective opposition to the Conservative Party. We already have Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC. Chris Greenslade

Clacton-on-sea, Essex