Corbyn is repeating mistakes that made Labour unelectable in the past
SIR – I feel deep resentment at the way in which Jeremy Corbyn and his Marxist comrades are leading the Labour Party to the abyss.
During the last century, Labour governed only for relatively short periods. Its contributions were the creation of the NHS and Nato. The NHS is now tottering, whereas Nato, badly funded by several member states, will not be strong enough to combat Russia’s territorial revanchism in eastern Europe without American support.
Labour’s election manifesto has adopted the old Keynesian nostrum of taxing rapaciously and spending freely. Do the party leaders understand that their future electability will remain an unfulfilled dream? Sam Banik
London N10
SIR – Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to raise tax bands for high earners shows little understanding of the positive impact this group has on our economy.
Many earners who fall into the high tax bands are self-starters, and these innovators are key drivers of economic growth and employment in Britain.
It is imperative that the next government backs our entrepreneurs and encourages investment in Britain’s economy, rather than pushing high earners to move elsewhere. Paul Aitken
CEO, Borro London WC2
SIR – At least one commitment in Labour’s manifesto is to be welcomed: the abolition of employment tribunal fees.
For too long, those with claims under £1,200 (the tribunal application and hearing fee) have been denied the justice to which they are entitled. Unscrupulous employers know an employee is unlikely to make a tribunal application if the costs outweigh the potential benefits. They therefore have no hesitation in exploiting their economic advantage.
If Theresa May is serious about making the Conservatives the party for working people, she too should commit to abolishing a system which offers justice only to those who can afford it. Alf Crossman
Rudgwick, West Sussex
SIR – Theresa May threatens to remove the bus pass from pensioners and the disabled at her peril (report, May 16).
For non-drivers the pass is essential to escape from the isolation of living alone. It is more than a bus pass; it is a lifeline. Valda Mossman
Penzance, Cornwall
SIR – Peter Head (Letters, May 17) is struggling to decide who to vote for, having dismissed all the major parties as unsuitable. His difficulty might be solved if he were to consider the Monster Raving Loony Party.
This is a party that does what it says on the tin: a rarity which should not be casually dismissed. Michael Sheehy
Maidenhead, Berkshire